Google Pixel 7 camera app adds ‘Cinematic Blur’ and accessibility features

Google just launched its Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, and as expected, the cameras haven’t changed much from the previous model, hardware-wise. As usual though, Google has introduced a bunch of new and useful AI software camera tricks powered by the new Tensor G2 chip, including updates to Real Tone, along with the new Super Res Zoom, Photo Unblur and Cinematic Blur features. It also unveiled the very cool “Guide Frame” feature that helps visually impaired people take selfies.

One that’s bound to be popular (and maybe overused) is Cinematic Blur. This gives you the same portrait-like blurred backgrounds for video that you get in photos, helping the subject stand out better. It’s apparently made possible by the high speed and low latency of the Tensor G2 chip, delivering a “beautifully shallow depth of field,” Google said. 

The Google Pixel 7's latest camera feature helps the visually impaired take selfies
Google

Also new is Photo Unblur, essentially a version of the Pixel 6’s Face Unblur feature that works on any type of photo — and will only be available on Pixel 7 devices for now. With just a few taps, you can remove blur and other issues from older photos, potentially giving them a new life.

Next up is an update to Real Tone, first introduced last year, that improves skin tones on a diverse range of people. Google has added thousands of new sample images to its dataset to improve the feature for a wider range of skin tones. And now, it works with Google’s low-light Night Sight mode and Portrait mode as well. 

The Google Pixel 7's latest camera feature helps the visually impaired take selfies
Google

The Super Res Zoom, meanwhile, doubles the optical resolution at a given zoom range, while letting you zoom up to 30x. It fixes potential noise by “remosaicing” the image to maximize sharpness. The result is a full 12.5-megapixel resolution photo at a 2x on the Pixel 7 and 10x on the Pixel 7 Pro. The aim is to provide the highest quality across the zoom range, rather than having only certain zoom levels (2x, 5x, etc.) looking good.

Zoom stabilization is another new feature that effectively upscales wide zoom photos while providing steadier shots than you’d get on. It also added 10-bit HDR capture, letting you capture brighter and more colorful photos and take best advantage of the HDR display. And finally, for the Pixel 7 Pro, Google introduced a new Macro focus that takes advantage of the wider field of view to allow for improved closeup shots. 

Finally, Guided Frame is a new accessibility feature that tells visually impaired users exactly where to move their device to take a well-composed selfie. The voice coach will ask you to go up, down, or to the side, until its AI believes you’re in the best place to shoot. Along with True Tone, it’s one of the new features Google revealed to burnish its accessibility and inclusivity.

Apart from that, both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro still come with 50-MP main and 12-MP wide cameras, with the Pixel 7 Pro using the same 48-MP telephoto camera as before. Both the pro and regular models have the same 10.8-MP front camera, compared to the 8-megapixel camera on the Pixel 6 Pro. 

The Pixel Tablet will attach to a speaker base to double as a smart display

After some stops and starts, Google is returning to tablets, but with a smart home twist. The company first teased the upcoming Pixel Tablet at I/O this year, saying the device would be launching in 2023. Though that release window is at least several months away, Google was eager to share more details at its hardware launch event today.

Google’s vice president of product management Rose Yao said during the keynote that the company thinks of the tablet as part of its Pixel portfolio of products, and that it didn’t feel complete without a “large screen device”. That might be confusing if you recall the ill-fated Pixel Slate and Pixelbook, which were “large screen” Pixel-branded devices.

Like other Pixel gadgets, the tablet will be a canvas for Google’s own expression of Android. And as the company already hinted at its developer conference this year, the tablet will be powered by the same Tensor G2 chip that’s in the flagship phones. Since this is still just a tease, the company is still keeping details like screen size, resolution, RAM and more under wraps.

Google Pixel Tablet
Google

Google is ready, however, to share more about the Pixel Tablet’s design. It looks similar to older phones like the Pixel 3, with a rounded rectangle shape and a matte-ish glass back. In fact, Yao said the company developed a new “nano-ceramic coating” that she said is inspired by “the feel of porcelain.”

In an interview with Engadget, Yao said the best way to think about this finish is to imagine the coating on a Le Creuset dutch oven. She said that the Pixel Tablet’s coating should feel similarly durable and premium, and that it’s basically embedding tiny pieces of ceramic onto the device’s frame, which is made of recycled aluminum. This creates what she said is a “soft matte finish” with a “grippy feel” that should alleviate what her team believed was a pain point of tablets: “They’re really big devices that are kind of slippery.”

The Pixel Tablet will also run Android, complete with Material You personalization and big screen-friendly features like split screen and stylus support. When I asked for more information about stylus support, Yao said “We’ll talk about the more next year,” though she added that “you can use a third-party stylus.”

Google Pixel Tablet
google

The fact that the Pixel Tablet is powered by Tensor, which Yao said is the first time Google is bringing its own processor to a different type of product than a phone, enables a few different things.

“I have so many stories I want to share about what that means,” Yao said. But she can’t at the moment, besides alluding to speech recognition, video calls, photo editing and image processing as areas to look out for.

She also shouted out the Assistant, which will be able to “work seamlessly between a tablet and the phone” thanks to Tensor. But not just that, Google wants you to think of its tablet as a place for an always-listening Assistant, much like you would with a Nest speaker. Yao said that her team observed how people used tablets and learned that “tablets are homebodies.” According to her, most tablets are home 80 percent of the time and are only active for a small portion of the time.

Google Pixel Tablet
Google

Another thing Yao said was that though tablets tended to remain in people’s homes, they “don’t really have a home at home.” They’re often left in drawers or by charging outlets, and can either be forgotten or get in the way. To make a tablet that’s “truly useful 24/7” and that would “bring together the best of Pixel and home,” Yao said her team made a charging speaker dock.

The base doesn’t just charge the device, Yao said it also “unlocks a ton of new experiences and makes the tablet helpful all the time.” Her favorite feature is the photo frame, which is similar to that on the Nest Hub smart display. But the Pixel Tablet also has front and rear cameras, making it useful for video calls.

Yao said the angle “is just really perfect for me,” though based on the pictures Google has shown so far it appears the camera might shoot at an unflattering upwards angle. She also confirmed that the base won’t allow for adjustable angles, so if you don’t like the position you likely won’t be able to change it.

“I really think it’s one of the most versatile tablets on the market,” Yao said, adding “We’ll talk more next year.” While Google still hasn’t shared information like screen size and pricing, we’ll likely find out more closer to launch.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!

How to pre-order the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro

Google’s Pixel event today delivered exactly what we expected: a couple of new smartphones and a brand new Pixel Watch. The previously teased Google Pixel 7 was officially debuted, and while it doesn’t look dramatically different from its predecessor, it includes a number of important changes. Key among them is Google’s new Tensor G2 chipset, which promises speedier performance, improved efficiency and more for both the Pixel 7 and its larger sibling, the Pixel 7 Pro. As for the Pixel Watch, it looks right at home next to the new smartphones and it takes a lot of health-and-fitness prowess from Googled-owned Fitbit. Here’s how to pre-order the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel Watch.

Google Pixel 7

Google Pixel 7
Google

Google’s Pixel 7 smartphone is available for pre-order today starting at $599. It comes in three colors — snow, obsidian and lemongrass — and it’ll be widely available on October 14th. Those who pre-order through Amazon can get a free $100 gift card with their new Pixel 7.

Pre-order Pixel 7 at Google – $599Pre-order Pixel 7 at Amazon – $599

The company’s latest flagship doesn’t look too different from last year’s model, but the changes Google made are nothing to scoff at. The Pixel 7 features an always-on 6.3-inch FHD, 90Hz display made with scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass Victus, plus an IP68-rated body made of recycled aluminum. It runs on Google’s new Tensor G2 chipset, which promises better machine learning capabilities, increased efficiency and improved photography features like Night Sight. It’ll also come with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage.

The cameras on the Pixel 7 have been updated to include a 10.8-megapixel front shooter, which is now the same as the front-facing camera on the higher-end Pixel 7 Pro. There’s also a new feature called Guided Frame, which helps those with low vision take better selfies by using audio and haptic prompts. As for the rear array, that includes a 50MP wide camera and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Google promises improved Real Tone photography and low-light images, plus better video features like Cinematic Blur, 4K Cinematic Pan and 240fps slo-mo.

Google also promises five years of security updates for the Pixel 7, plus an “adaptive battery” feature that will let the handset last for over 24 hours. Extreme Battery Saver adds to that, allowing the phone to last up to 72 hours.

Google Pixel 7 Pro

Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google

Google’s Pixel 7 Pro is available for pre-order today starting at $899. It comes in three colors — snow, obsidian and hazel — and it’ll be widely available on October 14th. Those who pre-order through Amazon can get a free $200 gift card with their new Pixel 7 Pro.

Pre-order Pixel 7 Pro at Google – $899Pre-order Pixel 7 Pro at Amazon – $899

As to be expected, the Pixel 7 Pro is an upgrade from the standard model in a few ways. It’s larger, with an always-on 6.7-inch QHD+, 120Hz display and a body with the same IP68 durability level as the Pixel 7. It also runs on the new Tensor G2 chipset and it has an upgraded triple rear camera system that includes a 50MP wide camera, a 12MP ultrawide lens and a 48MP telephoto shooter with a 5x optical zoom and support for up to 30x Super Res Zoom. Other internal specs include 12GB of RAM and a choice of 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage.

The other difference between the Pixel 7 Pro and the standard model is that the 7 Pro has a slightly larger battery (5,000mAh) than the regular handset (4,355mAh), but both share the same battery life estimates. Both also support fast charging that provides 50 percent juice in just 30 minutes when using Google’s 30W power adapter, which you can pick up separately.

Google Pixel Watch

Google Pixel Watch
Google

The new Google Pixel Watch is available for pre-order today starting at $350 for the WiFi models and $400 for the WiFi + LTE models. It’s available in three colors and will be widely available on October 14th.

Pre-order Pixel Watch at Google – $350Pre-order Pixel Watch at Amazon – $350

Google’s first smartwatch in the Pixel family takes a lot of design nods from its phones and health-tracking chops from Fitbit. The circular case has a nearly invisible bezel along with an always-on 320ppi AMOLED, slightly domed display. It has a 294mAh battery built in that Google claims will last for 24 hours before it needs a recharge, and the watch comes with a USB-C magnetic charging cable. The Pixel Watch runs on an Exynos 9110 SoC and has sensors including a heart rate monitor, GPS, accelerometer, altimeter, gyroscope and others built in.

Many of those sensors power the watch’s health and fitness tracking abilities, all of which build upon Fitbit’s expertise in that area (Google completed its purchase of Fitbit back in 2021). The Pixel Watch tracks daily activity and sleep, plus it has 40 workout modes and an ECG app for additional measurements. Those familiar with Fitbit will notice that the watch also supports metrics like Daily Readiness Score, Active Zone Minutes and more, plus it works with the paid service Fitbit Premium. Also, Google plans on bringing fall detection to the Pixel Watch in the coming months.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!

Google’s $899 Pixel 7 Pro has 5x optical zoom and a metal trim

The Pixel 7 Pro was first teased back in May 2022, but it’s finally time for every single detail. The 7 Pro takes the big design refresh of last year, and adds an aluminum frame and camera bar. Unfortunately, the eye-catching two-tone color options haven’t made it to 2022, which is a shame. We’re back to single-colored Pixel phones, sadly, even if there are three different colors to choose from.

The 6.7-inch screen (the same size and resolution as the Pixel 6 Pro) is coated with Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, and the phone has IP68 protection against water and dust. The display itself is QHD+ LTPO OLED and can reach refresh rates up to 120Hz, which should ensure smooth browsing and swiping. It also tops out at 1,500 nits of brightness – notably brighter than the Pixel 6 Pro, if not quite as bright as the iPhone 14 Pro, which can peak at 2,000 nits outdoors.

The 7 Pro, gets some camera upgrades too. Two of the three camera sensors are all-but identical to the Pixel 6 Pro. Once again there’s a 50-megapixel wide camera, with f/1.85 aperture and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with f/2.2. The latter comes with a 125.8-degree field-of-view, which is an upgrade from the 114-degree ultrawide camera on last year’s Pixel.

The telephoto camera, however, has been substantially upgraded. The 48MP sensor features up to 5X optical zoom and a Samsung-ish 30X Super Res Zoom (up from 20X zoom last year) that combines multiple exposures to improve image quality.

A black Pixel 7 Pro phone, alongside other Pixel hardware including the Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro.
Google

Both Pixel 7 phones feature Google’s second-generation Tensor chip, the G2. The company claims the new chip will allow for more advanced voice recognition and machine learning features. This should translate to a faster, more efficient Pixel, especially for processor-intensive tasks related to photos and image processing.

That includes boosting photos captured at the new 30x Super Res Zoom, up to two times faster Night Sight low-light photography processing and even sharper photos with Face Unblur. The new Pixel 7s will also be able to capture video with a new artificial bokeh effect, in a mode Google is calling Cinematic Blur. It says thanks to its new Tensor chip, it can achieve a realistic blur with low latency and low power draw. The Pixel 7 Pro also includes a Macro Focus feature, which can shoot from as close as three centimeters away.

Security-wise, Google has included a Titan M2 security chip, alongside fingerprint and face unlock features. Matching its predecessor, the Pixel 7 Pro has a 5,000mAh battery and can fast-charge up to 50 percent full in around half an hour – but you will need to buy the compatible 30W charger separately. The Pixel 7 Pro starts at $899, and will come in Obsidian, Snow and Hazel color options. It’s available to preorder now and will launch on October 13th.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!

Pixel 7’s Google Assistant updates let you silence calls with your voice

Google is fond of introducing Assistant features alongside new devices, and that’s true for the Pixel 7. Among other upgrades, the new phone now lets you mute incoming calls just by saying “silence.” You don’t have to let the call ring if you can’t (or just don’t want to) reach for your handset.

You’ll also get transcription directly in Messages, so you don’t have to play an audio clip in a quiet room. It should be easier to record your company meetings, too. The Pixel 7’s Recorder app will “soon” provide speaker labels to transcribe each person’s words separately. You’ll know if it was your boss or a coworker who suggested an idea.

It’s not clear when or if these features will reach non-Pixel hardware. Google sometimes keeps them as exclusives, but is known to sometimes make them more broadly available to Android users after a few months’ wait.

Other phone-oriented improvements are subtler. Voice typing now automatically suggests emoji, and supports French, Italian and Spanish. Arguably, the biggest improvements to Assistant at this event are linked to new hardware — the Pixel Watch finally brings the AI helper’s latest incarnation to your wrist, while the upcoming Pixel Tablet doubles as a smart display. Still, you might appreciate the phone-oriented tweaks if you’re tired of telemarketers or keeping office minutes.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!

The Pixel 7 packs Google’s Tensor G2 chip and starts at just $599

After being teased back at I/O 2022, today Google announced the new Pixel 7 starting at just $599 featuring a refreshed design, a Tensor G2 chip and a bunch of new photo and video enhancements.

Available in three colors (snow, obsidian and lemongrass), the new Pixel 7 sports a familiar design including a big camera bar in back, a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus in front and the same IP 68 water resistance we got on last year’s devices. That said, for 2022, Google has made a few tweaks including merging the camera bar with the frame of the phone for increased durability. On top of that, while the Pixel 7 Pro will get slightly more premium-feeling polished metal sides, the Pixel 7 gets a less shiny matte aluminum finish.

Interestingly, another notable design change is that, with a 6.3-inch 2400 x 1080 OLED display, the standard Pixel 7 is actually a tiny bit smaller than the outgoing 6.4-inch Pixel 6. This is a small victory for fans of compact phones, especially when you factor in a slight decrease in weight as well, down to 6.9 ounces (from 7.3 ounces on the Pixel 6).

The Pixel 7 will be available in three colors: snow, obsidian and lemongrass
Google

On the inside, the Pixel 7 will be powered by the new Tensor G2 chip, which helps support a number of new machine learning and software features, along with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. By leveraging the Tensor G2’s next-gen TPU, Google says low-light image processing using Night Sight is two times faster compared to the previous generation. The Tensor G2 chip also supports an improved Face Unblur function in the Pixel 7’s camera, while also unlocking a new Photo Unblur feature that allows the phone to sharpen photos (including previously taken pics or images captured by other devices) — all using local processing only.

Other specs include a 4,355 mAh battery, 30-watt wired charging and support for both wireless and reverse wireless power transfer. Unfortunately, while the phone does have 5G connectivity, Google says mmWave support will vary depending on the retailer or the specific model. So if you want to make sure you get full 5G compatibility for your network, you’re probably better off buying the phone directly from your carrier.

As for its cameras, the Pixel 7 gets two shooters in back: a 50MP main lens and a 12MP ultra-wide with a 114-degree field of view. But perhaps more important than the size of its sensors are some of the new photos and video tweaks Google has packed in. When shooting stills, Google says it has tweaked Night Sight color processing to improve clarity while still making images look like they were actually shot at night. Meanwhile for video, you can now record in 10-bit color with HDR, while the new Cinematic Mode adds a soft bokeh to the background of your clips. And to make all your footage look just a bit better, Google also upgraded the Pixel 7’s video stabilization and noise reduction capabilities. And for selfie fans, this year, both the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro are getting the same front-facing 10.8MP camera with a 92.8-degree field of view.

Google Pixel 7 Pro
Google

Elsewhere, one interesting new feature is the expansion of the Pixel’s Direct my Call Feature, which provides a handy touch menu for navigating those annoying automated voice messages you often run into when calling a big business. Previously, the issue with Direct my Call was that the phone needed to hear all the different options before being able to create a text-based menu on your screen. But now, by caching responses from the top 1,000 businesses (US only for now), the Pixel 7 can provide a menu right away, saving you time and frustration.

Finally, in a somewhat unusual move, alongside its new flagship phones, Google previewed some of the new software arriving in the next Pixel feature drop, which is slated for release sometime in December. In a big upgrade for anyone who uses the Pixel Recorder app, Google is adding automatic speaker labels to audio transcripts.

Additionally, similar to what you get on the new Pixel Buds Pro, the company is also planning to provide a Clear Calling feature designed to help reduce potentially distracting background sounds. Lastly, in a big upgrade to privacy and security, Google will also give all Pixel 7 owners access to a free VPN via Google One that’s good for the life of the device.

Pre-orders for the Pixel 7 go live today with official sales beginning on October 13th.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!

Google’s Tensor G2 chip gives a modest speed boost to the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro

With a new batch of Pixel phones comes a new chip at the heart of them all: Google’s Tensor G2. Like last year’s Tensor, the company’s first custom mobile chip, it’s an AI-infused powerhouse built specifically around the Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro’s and Pixel Tablet’s new features. It’ll also be joined with a revamped Titan M2 chip, which deals with on-device security.

Tensor G2 chip
Google

On stage during its Pixel launch event, Google VP Brian Rakowski said the Tensor G2 will power the Pixel 7’s voice capabilities, including faster Assistant queries, as well as voice translation, voice typing, and more. He noted that voice typing is around two and a half times faster than using the keyboard, making it a feature that more people are relying on. You’ll even be able to visually describe emojis, like asking for the “heart eyes cat,” while voice typing.

On the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, the Tensor G2 also enables Photo Unblur, which can sharpen out of focus photos, as well as Super-Res Zoom, which digitally blows up photos without losing much quality (it also benefits from the phone’s new 50MP cameras). One nice bonus: You’ll also be able to touch up older photos using all of the Tensor G2’s capabilities. As for other features, the Tensor G2 lets Night Sight photos process twice as quickly, and it’s behind Cinematic Blur mode, which can artfully direct how your videos are focused. Sure, it’s not as groundbreaking as the original, but the Tensor G2 shows that Google is still committed to a strong cohesion between the Pixel phone’s software and hardware.

The Tensor G2 chip features two “Big” CPU cores, two “Medium” cores and four “Small” cores, like its predecessor. Clock speeds are only a hair higher — literally just 5MHz and 10MHz across the Big and Medium cores — and Google is sticking with the Arm Cortex X1 and A55 chips with the Big and Small cores. The only major update? The Tensor G2’s Medium core now uses an Arm A78 instead of an A76. Google says the G2 is also running a “next-generation” TPU AI accelerator.

Follow all of the news from Google’s Pixel 7 event right here!