Google has started rolling out the second beta update of Android 16 for supported Pixel devices. There are not many user-facing features arriving with this build, but Google is making a few framework changes that will enhance the camera experience for users in the near future.
The most notable change is a new hybrid auto exposure system arriving with the Camera2 API upgrade. So far, users have only had access to rudimentary controls in the auto-mode for capturing stills and videos. For deeper controls, there was no other option than digging into the cluttered Pro mode.
With the new hybrid system, users will be able to fine tune the ISO levels and exposure time, while the algorithmic auto-exposure system will handle the remaining aspects. A tighter control over exposure opens the doors for capturing better high dynamic range shots, panoramas, and achieving artistic shots in tricky lighting conditions.
Smartphone makers usually serve their own flavour of automatic exposure adjustment, but the results they produce are not universally appealing. A hybrid approach at least gives you control over a crucial aspect without getting overwhelmed by pro mode dials and scales.
Another neat feature coming with Android 16 is the ability to adjust frame temperature as well as tint levels, thanks to a new color correction pipeline. Once again, it offers a respite from the flubs of an opaque automatic white balance adjustment system.
With granular tint and color adjustment controls, users can compensate for any external light disparities and achieve the desired color tone in their videos. And finally, the update also introduces support for capturing motion photos.
Google has served a somewhat similar system for motion photos on its Pixel phones, tying them to the Action Pan and Long Exposure modes. Then there’s Top Shot, which lets users pick the perfect frame from within a clip or photo they captured.
However, it’s not quite the Live Photo system that you see on iPhones, and a similar implementation on a few other smartphones such as the OnePlus 13. With the arrival of Android 16, capturing and viewing of motion photos is getting standardized.
For folks who love capturing UltraHDR shots, they will be glad to see support for the HEIC format, which is less taxing on the internal storage without degrading the quality. Google says it is also working to add support for the AVIF format down the road.
Android 16 will reach platform stability in the coming months, and the stable build will be released sooner than the previous iterations. At the moment, beta testing of Android 16 is limited to Google’s Pixel series of devices.
