Google Pixel 6 Pro camera samples leak online yet again ahead of launch

By Michael Allison October 4, 2021

Google’s Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are launching in a matter of weeks, but a new leak today just showcased what will be the phone’s killer feature: Its camera. The report comes from Brandon Lee, a YouTuber with access to a preproduction Google Pixel 6 Pro who has provided earlier Pixel 6 Pro leaks on pricing and color names.

Now, there are quite a few caveats here. First, the photos come sourced from, as already said, preproduction hardware from a source in Nigeria. It’s not quite clear if the software on the phone being used is the same as what Google is going to push out, nor is the photographer (or weather conditions) amenable to showcasing the best of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Finally, we’re only seeing the Pixel 6 photos through compressed social media posts, rather than in their full quality. It’s best to think of this as giving you an idea of what Google’s next phone can do, rather than being a true indicator.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by This is Tech Today (@thisistechtoday)

Google’s Pixel phones have typically excelled at capturing still photos, with the cameras falling short on flexibility and video quality. With the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, Google has reportedly invested in these two aspects. The Pixel 6 Pro is Google’s first triple-lens phone, with the company equipping telephoto and ultrawide lenses. The camera specs are said to be a 50MP GN1 image sensor, with a Sony 12MP IMX386 image sensor for ultrawide scenarios, plus a Sony 48MP IMX586 sensor for telephoto capture. For those curious about the performance of the main camera hardware in production-level hardware, the Vivo X70 Pro ships with the same GN1 sensor and has been critically acclaimed for its photography skills.

The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro otherwise are expected to be made available later this month with high-res, smooth displays, Android 12, large batteries, and a first-of-its-kind Google Tensor chip to power it all. We’ll be able to properly appraise its camera performance then.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Michael Allison

Mobile News Writer

A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…

Mobile

Don’t update your Pixel phone — a new Android update might break it

Android 14 introduced a host of convenient additions to Google’s Pixel phones, but a recent minor update has utterly broken the storage system for some users. Specifically, owners of the Google Pixel 6, Google Pixel 6 Pro, and Google Pixel 6a who run multiple profiles on their phones are reporting that their phones no longer have access to the storage pipeline for the main profile.

That means users are locked out of accessing the stored media and find themselves unable to add new files as well. A few users have reported on Reddit and Google’s official community forum that they can’t even click images using the camera app because it flashes an insufficient storage warning message. A few others say trying to install an APK package also returns a similar storage writing roadblock.

Mobile

Google Pixel 8 Pro users are finding weird ways to use the phone

A person holding the Google Pixel 8 Pro in front of their face.

One of the most surprising additions to Google’s Pixel hardware in recent years is temperature sensing. The Google Pixel 8 Pro comes armed with a temperature sensor that can measure the temperature of objects simply by “scanning” them from an optimum distance within the five-centimeter range. Google says the sensor is good for “beverages, cooking pan, water temperature, and more.”

The smartphone community, however, is seemingly hell-bent on relegating it to gimmick status. But average Pixel 8 Pro owners are finding cool ways to use it. As detailed in this Reddit post, one Pixel 8 Pro user was stuck in a stormy situation that took out the power supply for 36 hours, putting them in a quandary regarding the status of food items kept in an out-of-power refrigerator.

Mobile

I refuse to buy the Google Pixel 8 Pro, and it’s all Google’s fault

Someone holding the Bay blue Google Pixel 8 Pro.

I have a not-so-surprising confession: I tend to want every new phone that comes out. I'm a sucker for good marketing, and smartphone launches have some of the best marketing around. Whether it's a new feature like a telephoto lens, a bigger battery, a more vivid display, or a radically new form factor, I get a bad case of fear of missing out almost every time. It's why I often find myself buying the most expensive model, despite not really needing to.

So, I was slightly confused when the recent launch of the Google Pixel 8 Pro didn't leave me feeling like I wanted the phone at all. Or rather, I did, but the desire was undercut by another emotion: annoyance. I'm mad at the Pixel 8 Pro, but it's not for the reasons you might think.