Pixel 8 Camera: here's what we know so far

Google’s has some of the best phone cameras on the market, so the question is: what can we expect from the Pixel 8 series once it gets announced sometime in September or October this year? Well, for now the picture that leaks and rumors have painted for us points at some hardware upgrades and new software features. Overall, we don’t expect any groundbreaking changes, but there should still be some noteworthy improvements.

Pixel 8 rumored camera specs summarized

While taking a look the supposed camera specs the Pixel 8 series might have, just remember that all of this information is currently based on leaks and rumors, which means it can turn out completely different once the phones get announced. That being said, what you see below comes from reputable and trustworthy sources, so there is a good chance it ends up being true.

Camera	Specs
Main (wide)
Ultra-wide	Pixel 8 Pro: 64MP Sony IMX787 Pixel 8: same 12MP Sony IMX386
Telephoto	Pixel 8 Pro: same 48MP 5X with f/3.5
Front camera

There are two notable upgrades here. First and foremost is the new main camera sensor, which despite having 50MP just like the one on the Pixel 7 series, is said to be much larger. More specifically, we are talking about the ISOCELL GN2 image sensor from Samsung, which can capture 35% more light compared to the ISOCELL GN1 (featured in the Pixel 7).

By being able to capture more light, the ISOCELL GN2 is inherently better at faster shutter speeds and low-light scenarios.

Pixel 8 camera upgrades: What we expect

A larger main sensor

As mentioned earlier, Google is said to have prepared a brand new main camera for the Pixel 8 series. It will still be 50MP, but the sensor will be larger, measuring at 1/1.12 inches. It is said to capture 35% more light than the one on the Pixel 7 series, which should allow the camera to take shots faster and therefore less blurry images. Of course, the ability to capture more light also results in better photos in darker conditions.

New ultrawide camera on the Pixel 8 Pro

The Pixel 8 Pro might be getting a new 64MP ultrawide camera. In fact, it might be the same Sony IMX787 sensor that is featured on the latest budget phone from Google, so feel free to check out our Pixel 7a review to see some sample shots from its ultrawide snapper.

Better autofocus on the Pixel 8 Pro

Google might also be upgrading the time-of-flight (ToF) sensor on the new Pixel Pro, which would help with its autofocus. A ToF sensor helps with measuring the depth between the camera and object via a beam of infrared light, helping the phone determine what distance to focus at.

New software features

There is talk about some new software features coming with the Pixel 8 series, such as “Adaptive torch,” for example, which would adjust the flash intensity depending on the scene. So basically, a flash that automatically adjusts its brightness.

Another camera feature that is arguably more exciting is something called” Segmentation AWB.” With this new feature, the Pixel 8 would be able to use its amazing AI powers and divide a scene into a number of segments and specifically process each one’s white balance.

Last but not least, the unblur feature that helped restore blurred out faces and objects might also be coming to video, although this one is a bit hard to imagine. It is only natural for moving subjects to be slightly blurred out when shooting video, so it might look a bit uncanny if they remain in focus. We’ll just have to wait and see how video unblur turns out.

How many cameras will the Pixel 8 have?

Just like the Pixel 7 series, the regular Pixel 8 is said to come with two rear cameras — the main (wide) camera and an ultra-wide. The Pixel 8 Pro, on the other hand, should come with a third telephoto camera that is capable of 5X zoom. Both phones are expected to keep last generation’s selfie cameras at the front.

How many megapixels will the Pixel 8 camera be?

Main — 50MP
Ultrawide — 12MP on the Pixel 8, 64MP on the Pixel 8 Pro
Telephoto — 48MP (only on the Pixel 8 Pro)
Front-facing — 10.8MP

Pixel 8 Camera: here’s what we know so far