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Google has been using the same main camera sensor for four years now. Ever since the Pixel 2, Google has been utilizing a 12.2-megapixel Sony IMX363 camera sensor in every single phone. That changed today. Google announced its Pixel 6 series smartphones, and they do include a new main camera sensor, finally.
The Google Pixel 6 phones deliver a new main camera sensor, and it was about time
The Sony IMX363 performed well for Google, mainly thanks to Google’s camera software, but it was time for an upgrade. The Sony IMX363 started showing its age a while back. Google replaced this 12.2-megapixel camera with a 50-megapixel one.
The company opted to go with Samsung’s offering this time around. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro do feature the ISOCELL GN1 50-megapixel camera from Samsung. This is a 1/1.31-inch camera sensor, with a 1.2um pixel size. It is paired with an f/1.85 aperture lens, and it provides an 82-degree FoV (Field of View). Yes, both OIS and EIS are a part of the package, when it comes to this camera sensor.
This camera sensor got announced in mid-2020, so it’s not brand new, but that’s not surprising. Companies need time to properly test out a sensor, and that goes for Google especially, as its image processing relies heavily on AI.
Google says this camera sensor can deliver up to 150-percent more light
The device will utilize pixel binning, in collaboration with its image processing, to deliver images with the Pixel 6 series. Google actually claims you’ll be able to get more details, more color, and 150-percent more light with this setup.
It will be interesting to see how will this new camera sensor cooperate with Google’s image processing. The company managed to create stunning images with a rather dated camera sensor in its previous phones, so the expectations are high, that’s for sure.
That 50-megapixel main camera is paired with a 48-megapixel telephoto camera (4x optical zoom, 20x digital Super Res Zoom), and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, on the Pixel 6 Pro. The Pixel 6 offers the same main camera, but different ultrawide unit. It lacks the telephoto camera.
Features such as “Magic Eraser” are included in the package, and that is something to get excited about. If Google does it right, you’ll be able to remove objects from a photo with ease. We’ve seen various implementations of this, but none of them were excellent. Another feature worth mentioning is “Face Unblur”.