A new post by
XDA Developers has shed more light on what the
Google Pixel 6 camera will look like, thanks to some code found in a leaked, unofficial version of the Google Camera app (XDA has not disclosed their particular source that leaked it, but calls it reliable insider info).
Google‘s
Pixel handsets have never been quite the cream of the crop when it comes to top-of-the-line camera innovation, but they definitely seem to be stepping up the camera game with the upcoming Pixel 6, in an effort to bring it on par with some of the other top flagships on the market.
We already knew that the Pixel 6 Pro features better resolution in the selfie snapper in particular, over the base Pixel 6 model. However, XDA stumbled upon a line in the unofficial new Google Camera app’s code that hints at another special feature the Pixel 6 may hold. The line reads:
gcaConfigOverride.override(GeneralKeys.CAM_ULTRA_WIDE_FRONT_ENABLED, deviceProperties.isPixelRaven());
For reference, “raven” is the code name that Google has given to the Pixel 6 Pro, while the Pixel 6 is code-named “oriole.”
While the above line of code hardly means anything to most regular smartphone users, the programmers over at XDA were able to extrapolate from it (along with some other lines of code) that the Pixel 6 Pro model is set to feature an ultra-wide angle front camera lens—a privilege which the base Pixel 6 model will not enjoy, unfortunately.
The only other Google phones that have previously featured an ultra-wide-angle selfie snapper were the
Pixel 3 and the
Pixel 3 XL.
XDA discovered a code value for the Pixel 6 Pro named
frontSupportedUWDefaultToggleBarZoomRatioMap, which happens to be common to both the Pixel 3 and 3 XL as well.
We still lack the fine details of the alleged ultra-wide front camera lens, but XDA promises—based off of reliable sources—that the Pixel 6 Pro selfie camera will have two built-in zoom levels: 0.7X and 1.0X.
As for recording video, the Pixel 6 family are both supposed to come with the ability to shoot in 4K resolution at 60fps (only from the main camera, that is—not the telephoto or ultra-wide lens). According to XDA, the telephoto, ultra-wide and front cameras in both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will shoot in 4K at 30fps, which certainly isn’t a bad deal.
The maximum zoom level for 4K at 60fps (and 1080p at 60fps) will be 7X (the
Pixel 5 was limited to 5X, for reference). Furthermore, the Pixel 6 will allow users to smoothly switch between all of the available lenses while shooting in 4K at 30fps, without pausing or breaking up the video stream.
Photo zooming maxes out at 20X, additionally, according to the report based off of the recently deciphered code.
Last but not least, just like the last Pixel generation, the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will feature Audio Zoom, which is the ability to zoom in on a subject in order to enhance the sound coming from it in particular, while reducing background noise as much as possible.
