Google has previously said that the upcoming Pixel and Pixel XL devices will have the "best smartphone camera ever." However, they will only be coming with electronic image stabilization and not the optical image stabilization feature that is such a big deal among other smartphones, a move that could be seen as a puzzling one by customers.
The claim of "best smartphone camera ever" was supported by the pictures and a video that Google has uploaded that showcase the Pixel's camera capabilities. Isaac Reynolds, the head for Google's camera division, posted a collection of pictures taken with the Pixel on a variety of subjects and conditions, and they do not disappoint. Uploaded to Google Photos, the pictures also come with the description of "#Nofilter needed."
A 4K video allegedly taken with the Pixel has also appeared on YouTube, uploaded by a user named Ron8it. The video provides a quick but impressive look at the kind of videos that the smartphone can record.
The Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, however, are said to be coming with EIS, when most customers might be expecting them to come with OIS. Other flagship smartphones have touted that they come with OIS to improve the capabilities of their cameras, while not much has been heard about EIS.
On the Google Product Forums, a user asked if the lesser-known EIS is actually better than OIS, and if this is why Google decided to go with the former for the Pixel smartphones. Responding to the question was Reynolds, using the handle "IsaacOnCamera," who started off by saying that neither technology is better than the other because their purposes are different.
According to Reynolds, OIS is used to improve camera performance in low-light situations by providing a mechanical compensation for the shaking of the user's hand for each frame. Meanwhile, EIS also compensates for shaky hands, but for recording videos.
In addition, Reynolds said that EIS is much easier to fit inside smaller cameras, given that it does not have optical elements needed by OIS. The decision to go with EIS and not OIS also means that Google is already confident on the low-light capabilities of the sensor included in the Pixel smartphones.
Google's confidence in the camera of the Pixel smartphone is certainy not unfounded, with DxOMark giving the smartphone cameras a score of 89, which is the highest rating that it has ever given, beating the cameras of the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7, Apple's iPhone 7, the HTC 10 and the Sony Xperia X.
