TL;DR Google has revealed that the Pixel 10 Pro phones can shoot high-resolution, 50MP portrait mode images.
This is a welcome addition if you’d like to crop after the fact or print an image.
Unfortunately, this feature only applies to the main camera.
Google’s Pixel 10 phones have a few notable camera improvements and additions, making them stand out from other flagship Android phones. However, the Pro phones also have a new option in portrait mode.
Google says the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL both offer a 50MP portrait mode option via the main camera. The company claims these are the highest-resolution portraits of any smartphone, but they’re actually catching up to a rival brand in this regard rather than beating them.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a preferred source in Google Search to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more.
The admittedly China-only vivo X200 Ultra already offers 50MP portrait modes via both the main and tele cameras. By contrast, Google only offers high-resolution portraits via the main camera. That’s not the best decision on Google’s part, as the main camera isn’t typically the preferred sensor for portrait shots. These cameras give you a wider shot than you might like, while often featuring a deep depth-of-field (i.e., more of the scene in focus). The latter characteristic means smartphone makers have to lean on software processing to blur the background, potentially leading to depth estimation issues. Meanwhile, many flagship phones today have telephoto cameras with large sensors and relatively wide apertures, enabling a shallow depth-of-field for more natural bokeh effects.
However, Google says the Pixel 10 Pro phones offer an “updated algorithm” for both 50MP and 12MP portrait modes. The algorithm apparently offers improved detail, depth estimation, and segmentation, “especially around hair.” Google also told us during a Tensor G5 briefing that the chip indeed offers “advanced” segmentation. This allows it to identify individual elements in portrait images, such as skin, lips, and eyes. So it seems like the company is addressing some of our concerns.
Nevertheless, the Pixel 10 Pro line’s 50MP portrait mode option could be useful if you’d like to print some snaps. This high resolution could also be handy if you want to crop the image after the fact. But we hope Google brings 48MP portraits to the tele camera for maximum flexibility.
Google Pixel 10 Google Pixel 10 Very promising battery specs • 6.3-inch display • Loaded with Google AI features MSRP: $799.00 Baseline excellence. The Google Pixel 10 is the 6.3-inch base model of the in-house Android phones from Google. With plenty of high-speed storage options, a good amount of RAM, and the all-new Tensor G5 processor, it should blow through your mobile computing tasks with ease. A triple camera system includes standalone ultrawide and telephoto lenses, and a 50MP main sensor. See price at Amazon See price at Amazon Save $100.00
... continue reading