Adding something like 100x zoom to a smartphone camera is no small task. Before now, only Samsung and OnePlus had really dared to push that far in the US, and they’d achieved mixed results over and over again. But, with the launch of the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, Google has also thrown its hat into the long-range zoom ring. As always, we took that as our challenge to see if it’s any good.
So, here’s the best and worst we’ve gotten out of Google’s 100x Pro Res Zoom in our short time with the Pixel 10 Pro.
Wait, but first, how does Pro Res Zoom work?
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Alright, I think it’s only fair to give you a little insight into how Google’s 100x zoom works first. Or, rather, I’ll paraphrase the very smart research that my colleague Rob Triggs has done into the subject in his breakdown of what makes Pro Res Zoom a little controversial. In simplest terms, Google is going all-in on the power of Gemini, and it’s generating a few of the finer details along the way.
In slightly longer terms, Google uses a diffusion model to upscale images from its 5x optical telephoto sensor into finished 100x zoom products. And yes, Google is perfectly comfortable using computational photography for things like astrophotography, but its approach to Pro Res Zoom is a little different. Instead of simply lengthening the exposure and brightening details, Google has begun using generative AI to fill in details that its trio of powerful sensors can’t actually capture.
Google's diffusion upscaling walks a fine line between generative AI and basic de-noising.
Now, that’s not exactly the same as simply creating details from nothing. Google still needs the basic, low-resolution (for lack of a better term) image, upon which its models can work their de-noising magic. Essentially, the diffusion upscaling that Google is using is like the zoom and enhance you might remember from old episodes of CSI — only this time, it’s in the palm of your hand.
Of course, the finished results are only as good as the details they have to work with, which means that far-off shots of buildings seem to come out better than photos that include smaller, softer subjects like plants and people. After all, Google’s models are filling in details based on statistics, and, well, plants and people don’t always follow the rules.
Alright, now onto our actual 100x Pro Res Zoom samples.
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