New details about the camera sensors used in the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and Pixel tablet have been discovered, suggesting minor updates for the Pixel 7 and the affordability of the Pixel tablet.
Last month, our team at APK Insight was able to uncover some details about the specifications and software features Google has planned for the Pixel 7 series and Pixel tablet, thanks to an update to the Google Camera app.
On Twitter, Android researcher Kuba Wojciechowski has shared findings about the specific camera hardware that the upcoming Pixels will use.
Pixel 7/7 Pro camera hardware
For starters, Kuba noted that the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro will use the Samsung 3J1 as their front-facing sensor, making them capable of 11MP selfies. This is a change from the Pixel 6 Pro, which used a Sony IMX663 with similar specs.
We previously reported that both phones would likely use the same front-facing sensor, as the Google Camera app lists both Pixel 7 models as offering 4K selfie video recording. In comparison, the Pixel 6 had a smaller 8MP selfie camera compared to the Pixel 6 Pro’s 11MP front-facing sensor.
The most interesting detail for the front camera is that the Samsung 3J1 sensor, like the IMX663 before it, has dual-pixel autofocus (DPAF) capabilities. While DPAF is often used to create stunning portrait/bokeh photos, we’ve also learned that the camera’s depth data should also play a role in the face unlock system that Google is still actively developing for the series pixels.
Otherwise, it looks like the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro will have very similar camera hardware to the Pixel 6 series before it. The main sensor will continue to be the Samsung GN1, weighing in at 50MP, paired with the Sony IMX381 for ultrawide. One difference Kuba noted is that this year’s telephoto sensor will be the Samsung GM1 instead of the IMX586, although the two “are quite similar in performance.”
Pixel tablet camera hardware
Focusing on the Pixel tablet (codenamed Tangor), announced to arrive next year, Google is apparently equipping it with two Sony IMX355 sensors: one on the front and one on the back. These have been in Google hardware since 2018, powering selfies on phones like the Pixel 3 and Pixel 6. It also served as the rear camera on Google’s newest tablet, the 2018 Pixel Slate.
These low-end camera sensors point to ways Google may be planning to make the Pixel tablet easily affordable, albeit at the cost of losing the top-notch photography the Pixel series has become known for. Kuba’s findings corroborate our report that the Pixel tablet would likely lack many of Google’s camera features, including 4K recording, audio zoom, and slow motion.
‘Lynx’ Speculation
Kuba also shared some findings about the Pixel device codenamed “Lynx,” which we first reported earlier this year. While it’s still unclear what kind of device the Lynx wants to be, Google is equipping it with the same Samsung GN1 main sensor as the Pixel 6 and 7 series.
Where things start to differ is in the inclusion of a Sony IMX787, which is speculated to be used for telephoto photography. This is particularly notable as the IMX787 is capable of taking 64MP photos with its 1/1.3-inch sensor, the same size as the Samsung GN1.
Up front, Lynx will feature the Sony IMX712 sensor. While Sony hasn’t announced this particular model yet, it should be capable of 13MP photos. One possibility is that the Lynx is simply a test bed for Google to experiment with newer camera hardware for the Pixel series, but there’s also a slight potential for a Pixel device with even higher photography capabilities.
For now, though, all we can do is speculate until more evidence becomes available.
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