Google Pixel 4’s camera will have an even better Night Sight mode, report says

By Christian de Looper Published September 6, 2019

The Google Pixel 3 offers one of the better smartphone cameras ever, and has been hailed for features like Night Sight and the quality of photos it can take with one camera lens. Despite those accolades, it looks like Google will seriously step things up for the Google Pixel 4. According to a report from 9to5Google, which cites “a reliable source,” the Pixel 4 will offer a new “Motion Mode,” as well as an even better Night Sight mode.

So what exactly do these new features offer? According to the report, Motion Mode is essentially for taking sports shots and action shots, with focused moving subjects in the foreground and a nice blurry background. This helps bring the Pixel 4‘s camera more in line with what you would expect from a more expensive camera.

Recommended Videos

Perhaps even more exciting than Motion Mode is the addition of an even better Night Side mode. Night Sight already allows users to take relatively clear shots in low-light situations, but the Pixel 4’s Night Sight may be able to take photos of stars in the night sky. Google will apparently focus on this ability in its marketing for the phone.

Little has been left up to the imagination when it comes to the Pixel 4’s camera. Previous reports note that the Pixel 4 will offer two camera sensors on the back instead of one, including a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 16-megapixel telephoto lens. The front-facing camera will be a wide-angle lens.

Other specs have been heavily leaked too. It’s pretty safe to assume that the Pixel 4 will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, but reports indicate that it will also offer 6GB of RAM and options for either 64GB or 128GB of storage. Google is expected to step up gesture controls on the phone via the addition of its Project Soli camera sensor. This will allows users to control the phone without having to actually touch it. Last but not least, Google is expected to give the phone a 90Hz display — which is a welcome addition, considering the success of the OnePlus 7 Pro‘s display.

Christian de Looper

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…

Topics

Phones

I went hands-on with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. It’s peak foldable in an old garb.

It may not look like a fresh start, but underneath the familiar chassis, there's plenty of thoughtful engineering tweaks.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Samsung just wrapped up its glitzy Unpacked event, revealing three new foldable phones and a pair of smartwatches. While my heart flutters for the pocketable Galaxy Z Fold 8, it’s the Ultra variant that truly feels like a refinement. Interestingly, when you look at the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for the first time, you might mistake it for the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Both of them look identical, and Samsung has not made any visible changes on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for it to stand out from its predecessor. Color options, obviously, are fresh this time around, but there are a few changes that have been made under the hood, and they make this phone feel like a practically rewarding iteration.

Phones

Fold 8 Ultra vs. Fold 7: Upgrades across the board, but is the Ultra really worth the upgrade?

From battery capacity to camera hardware, here's a full comparison between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7, and whether upgrading actually makes sense.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Fold 7

Foldables age differently than regular smartphones or flagships. But why do I say this? It's the hinge and the foldable aspect that wins buyers over in the first place, not the specifications that get outdated every single year. That's precisely why anyone still carrying last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 is asking a fair question today: does Samsung's freshly unveiled Z Fold 8 Ultra genuinely earn an upgrade, or does the Fold 7 still hold its ground?

And for shoppers who skipped last year's model entirely and are weighing their first foldable purchase, the calculus is totally different. A now-discounted Fold 7 might undercut the Ultra by a considerable sum, and that could matter to those looking to spend on the form factor, not the latest specifications.

Phones

Samsung makes it easier to run multiple apps on Galaxy Z Flip 8’s cover screen

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8 now runs 16 apps on its cover screen.

Galaxy Z Flip 8 cover display

Samsung is finally making the Galaxy Z Flip's cover screen much more useful. With the new Galaxy Z Flip 8, you no longer have to rely on workarounds to access more apps without unfolding the phone. Instead, Samsung has expanded native support on the FlexWindow, allowing 16 apps to run directly on the outer display and also making it much easier to launch virtually any other app.

The update addresses one of the biggest complaints Flip users have had for years and brings Samsung up to the level of rivals like Motorola, whose Razr series has long offered a more flexible cover screen experience.