Google Pixel 8 first leak: to feature staggered HDR

Apparently ten months away from when we expect to see the release of Google’s next Pixel 8 lineup, the first information of the phone’s camera department appeared online, showing us what we could expect from the upcoming Pixel 8 lineup phones in 2023.

Since its first ever Pixel phone, the camera department has always been the Pixel phones’ strongest selling point, and Google’s reckoning photography snaps are still amongst the best. The tech giant keeps making advances/changes in software and photo processing that brings a better camera experience year-over-year. It seems like the Google is moving upmarket – the next generation Pixel phones will focus on upgrading the primary camera sensor that supports a new HDR technique called staggered HDR, according to the leakster and developer Kuba Wojciechowski.

Based on the information extracted from the source code in the Google Camera Go app, the manufacturer is expected to use a Samsung GN2 camera sensor with a Staggered HDR feature in the Pixel 8 lineup. Kuba has also spotted the contained mentions of “Husky” and “Shiba”, which are supposed to be the codenames for the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, respectively.

The new staggered HDR technology lets the sensor capture different exposures together with the same pixels and produce better-looking images than Google’s HDR+. It would also make the capturing time even shorter when compared to Google’s current approach, and help create more-precise real-world representations without any blurring and other distortions.

The Staggered HDR is considerably new type of sensor that introduced with Samsung’s ISOCELL GN2 last year, promising rich detail and vivid colors. Samsung said staggered HDR increases the dynamic range while taking the pictures and this technology “uses rolling shutters over the same pixel arrays to capture multiple frames in short, middle, and long exposures.” Currently, Pixel phones (Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 phones) feature ISOCELL GN1 camera sensor with HDR+ sensor. Based on the recent reports, the Samsung ISOCELL GN2 camera sensor may be used as a primary sensor in Google Pixel 8 series. Pixel 8 owners will be able to take vibrant photos using Smart ISO Pro and improved auto-focuse through Samsung’s Dual Pixel Pro technology.

Kuba also managed to confirm the existence of the Pixel Tablet Pro with the codename “Tangorpro” based on the source code of the Go app, and it appears we might see two Pixel branding tablets launching next year. The Pixel Tangor Pro could be a Pro version of the Pixel Tablet. Earlier this year at Google I/O event, the manufacturer has first revealed about making of its first ever Pxiel Tablet. Later, at the Pixel 7 phones’ launch event, Google provided some more additional details about the Pixel Tablet.

Source: Twitter

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