GoKawiilIf Google’s Pixel line of phones is best known for anything, it’s impressive software that elevates the photos its cameras capture. This year’s Made By Google event, which kicks off at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 12, will likely see the Pixel 11 phones shown off — a standard, Pro, and Pro XL version most likely — along with the next Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Rumors also point to a Pixel Watch 5.
And everything will likely get a good dose of Gemini AI. Last year, Google added features to its Pixel phones that relied on Gemini generative AI technology like Pro Res Zoom to compensate for the limitations of small smartphone cameras. My big question is, with the Pixel 11 line being announced, will Google genuinely advance mobile photography or introduce more gimmicks that can frustrate the photo process for photographers and everyday people?
It’s a tough line to walk. Generative AI technology for images has advanced rapidly over that time, but so has the public’s resistance to AI slop and photos created entirely from prompts.
I want to believe Google can step up the photography game this year.
Pro Res Zoom technology vs. image quality
Pro Res Zoom was the Pixel 10 Pro’s signature photo technology, a novel solution to an everyday smartphone camera problem.
It’s a common sight when people try to take photos with their phone: They zoom in on a scene by pinching and spreading with two fingers on the screen. But past a certain point — 10x zoom on the Pixel 10 Pro — all the camera is doing is digitally enlarging pixels, which diminishes detail. At 100x, images look like you’re squinting at them with poor eyesight and no glasses.
Google’s answer is to recreate, using generative AI, what’s in that zoomed-in area. The phone guesses at the content and generates an artificial rendering of what it should be. In some situations, it can work well, like with distant buildings or other architectural features that aren’t the focus of the shot. But if people are in the scene, forget about it.
The Pixel 10 Pro XL captured a 100x zoom photo, which is blurry due to the extreme zoom (right) and made a generative AI version of it (left). Jeff Carlson/CNET
Rumors suggest the Pixel 11 Pro phones’ version of Pro Res Zoom will go up to 120x magnification, so I don’t expect things to change much. However, the pace of generative AI improvements could mean it does a better job rendering the extremely zoomed-in scenes.
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