Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL Announced
Once a year, Google have a Made by Google event and this year’s was held last Tuesday. Amongst other items, the new Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL were announced. Extensive leaks revealed many of the phone’s specs and features, already so the event was more of a confirmation of what we already knew.
The new Pixel phones pack dual rear cameras, a 90Hz display and a radar-powered face unlock process. There’s also a few unique features like car crash detection and live video captioning.
The Pixel 4 starts at $799 (£669) for a 64GB version and $899 (£829) for the Pixel 4 XL. In the US, you can upgrade either phone to 128GB for $100 more.
How good is the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL at shooting video?
I’ve always been impressed by the Pixel smartphone cameras when it comes to shooting video. However, they do have one major weakness and that is in low light conditions. If you check the video test below, you will see not much has changed.
The Google Pixel 4 works pretty well under normal light conditions, although there are some changes of colour. For example, when zooming. But as soon as the phone is filming under low light conditions a lot of noise appears.
That said, we would need to see it tested with manual controls, so the ISO can be kept as low as possible, before we can truly judge. So hopefully some FiLMiC Pro tests will appear soon.
The cameras of both the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4XL are identical, both coming with a regular lens and a telephoto. This contrasts with Apple’s decision to put a ultra wide lens into the iPhone 11 instead of a telephoto.
- Main: 12.2-megapixel, 1.4 μm pixel width, dual pixel phase detection, OIS, ƒ/1.7 aperture, 77-degree field of view
- Tele: 16-megapixel, 1.0 μm pixel width, phase detection, OIS, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 52-degree field of view
- Video: 1080p @ 30, 60, or 120 fps; 720p @ 240 fps; 4K @ 30 fps; Front Camera: 1080p @ 30 fps
Ultimately, the Pixel 4 cameras are good enough but nothing that will make headlines. If you are wondering whether a Pixel or an iPhone is best for shooting video, then the iPhone is the winner.
Radar powered face unlock
One of the most talked about new features is Pixel 4’s new radar system. This powers the phone’s face unlock and is lighting fast, going by reports, with the phone unlocking in a second.
This is not just a gimmicky use of the word. There’s a literal radar chip at the top of the phone. This chip creates a hemisphere of spatial awareness about two feet in diameter around the Pixel 4 or 4 XL. This is called Motion Sense.
Google have been developing this for years, calling it Project Soli. And the feature is still very a work in progress. Not that it doesn’t work very well, but that the feature doesn’t do too much yet. Google say they will be adding more functions built around user’s experiences.
Motion Sense
Like I say, Google will be adding more. But what can it be used for currently? Essentially, it is used to control you phone without touching it.
Motion Sense knows if you’re near the phone or if you’re reaching for it. If you walk away, it turns off the always on display. Reach for it and it activates face unlock.
A wave of a hand can skip music back or forward. Music volume drops when you reach for the phone. Use a wave of the hand to dismiss a call or set your alarm to snooze.
The Pixel 4 understands you
Another change for the Pixel 4 and 4 XL is the development of the phone’s ability to understand English. The device can now achieve this without having to contact the central server. This means you can convert speech to text quickly and without connection.
You can also ask Assistant to do things local to your phone and it’ll respond much quicker. For example, opening up apps, composing emails and searching within apps – this all now takes place locally.
It’s a very Google smartphone
If you use any of Google’s software such as email, or Google drive apps like docs, sheets, slides and so on, or even just their search engine, you will get a familiar feeling when using these Assistant features. Google is a company founded on accessing information quickly, so it makes sense they have developed this in their smartphones.
“The “New Assistant,” as Google calls it, is much faster and needs to rely on Google’s servers much less. It’s also able to repeat the context-keeping tricks Google is particularly good at. In one demo, I watched somebody ask to see a Twitter profile, and Assistant jumped right into it. Then the person said “now YouTube,” and Assistant knew it should go look for the channel that belonged to that person. Or rather, it was supposed to; the demo broke down because YouTube had been open to another page.” the Verge
The Pixel isn’t quite ready to read your mind yet, but you can be sure when that tech is available Google will be first to put it in a smartphone. And we can be reassured that Google staff won’t be reading our minds at the same time and passing it on to advertisers.
Honest.
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