The Pixel 8 Pro recently received an update to the Google AI Core app to make Al-driven features even smarter. Pixel 8 Pro users are apparently in for another surprise as the December Feature Drop may finally bring two promised features.
Long-time leaker and 9to5Google writer Max Weinbach has hinted next month’s update will enable the Video Boost and AI Super Zoom functionalities on the Pixel 8 Pro.
Pixel phones have always been big on machine learning and the focus was greatly amplified this year. While most AI-powered features such as Magic Editor were available at launch, Google said that Video Boost and Zoom Enhance, which we are guessing what Weinbach meant by AI Super Zoom, would be rolled out later.
The Pixel 8 Pro can capture HDR+ photos but since a video has significantly more data than a photo, churning out a HDR+ video is a task no phone can accomplish on its own. That’s why, the Video Boost feature will send one copy of your video to the cloud where Google’s computational photography models will adjust everything from color to lighting, and graininess. This feature will also enable Night Sight Video on the Pixel 8 Pro to improve the quality of videos shot at nighttime or in a poorly lit environment.
Zoom Enhance is another Pixel 8 Pro-exclusive feature. It will use generative AI to sharpen the details in a zoomed-in version of a photo you have already taken. At launch time, Google only said the feature was “coming later.”
We can now expect the features to be rolled out next month. The Pixel 8 Pro is already one of the best camera phones available on the market and these two features will make it stand out even more. Whether users will be comfortable sending their videos to Google’s server is another story.
