The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro could be two of the very best telephones Google has ever made. The Pro mannequin particularly has a beautiful 6.7-inch, 120Hz show, a not-too-extreme value of $899 (£849, AU$1,299) and, after all, the cameras. It’s all the time the cameras. The conspicuous digital camera bar on the again homes a trio of shooters: a foremost 50-megapixel digital camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 48-megapixel telephoto that gives 4x optical zoom.
That final digital camera is especially necessary. Following the widespread adoption of Portrait mode and Night mode, zoom is turning into the large cellphone digital camera characteristic for a lot of corporations. That’s significantly true of Samsung, which marketed its final two Galaxy S flagships based mostly on their 100x zoom.
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So how does the Pixel 6 Pro stack up? I field-tested it right here in Sydney in opposition to the iPhone 13 Pro to search out out. I discovered that the iPhone usually carried out higher with optical zoom — that’s, as much as 3x, the place the 13 Pro maxes out — however that the Pixel was decisively higher as you zoom out farther. I additionally in contrast the Pixel 6 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra for longer zooms, and was stunned to see the Pixel 6 Pro outperform the zoom grasp.
iPhone vs. Pixel: Optical conflict
Let’s begin by evaluating the iPhone 13 Pro straight with the Pixel 6 Pro at 3x zoom. That means the iPhone 13 Pro is utilizing its devoted 3x optical telephoto digital camera and the Pixel 6 is utilizing its foremost wide-angle digital camera and digitally cropping in to 3x.
My first instance is a photograph taken on a vivid, sunny day of a painted mural with vibrant colours and action-shot cricketers.
To set the scene, I took this photograph on the Pixel utilizing the usual wide-angle lens at 1x.
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Zooming in to 3x, we begin to see how in another way the iPhone and Pixel seize photos. The iPhone takes hotter images, most notably seen within the completely different shade of inexperienced produced by every cellphone. Whether that is good or unhealthy relies upon largely on style, so I’ll go away that apart for the second. The Pixel photograph seems prefer it’s utilized the Structure filter from Instagram and raised it considerably: Details that look refined within the iPhone image grow to be pronounced within the Pixel photograph. Notice the crack that runs between the paintings of the bowler and the lady to his left.
I want the iPhone’s extra pure, vibrant look, however you could want the main points that the Pixel’s processing brings out.
Next up, please get pleasure from this decaying artwork piece I discovered in an alley.
For reference, right here is a photograph from the Google Pixel 6 Pro taken with its foremost digital camera at 1x.
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Below are images taken at 3x on every cellphone. Again, the lighting circumstances are excellent. This time, although, the outcomes are much less ambiguous. The iPhone 13’s photograph was brighter, had higher distinction and captured extra. If you have a look at the rips and tears within the canvas, you will discover much more element within the iPhone’s shot. Depressing element, on this case, however element nonetheless!
Now to a extra sophisticated instance. The images under have been taken at evening, however in a lit-up surroundings. This time it is the Pixel’s photograph that is brighter, however not essentially in a great way. The gentle is much less balanced within the Pixel’s rendition, which ends up in the iPhone’s model having higher distinction. (See the blacks within the cactus barrel.)
At the identical time, although, the Pixel managed to choose up particulars missed by the iPhone. Most notable are the spider webs on the cactus to the precise. This can also be an instance of one thing I observed lots within the Pixel — its dislike of shadows. The Pixel’s cameras work arduous to seize particulars in areas that come up darkish within the iPhone. And remember, the Pixel 6 Pro is utilizing its foremost digital camera and cropping in, which additionally provides it a little bit of a bonus.
Below just isn’t a zoomed shot, however I needed to incorporate it as an instance the purpose in regards to the Pixel 6 Pro. In the cactus photograph above, you see that it will possibly backfire by lighting up areas in a method that appears synthetic. In the images under although, it impresses by catching loads of data missed by the iPhone.
When it involves low gentle, I usually discovered the iPhone did a greater job, although not all the time. In the under images of a mural, the iPhone managed to seize extra gentle and element. Note, although, that the Pixel’s shot has deeper colours.
iPhone 13 Pro versus Pixel 6 Pro, 3x zoom.
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And the place the Pixel can typically produce photos that look overprocessed throughout the day, at evening I discovered it was usually the reverse. In the under comparability of a stone cross, the iPhone’s model is brighter, but additionally has extra noise and an unpleasant hue in contrast with the Pixel’s.
Now let’s transfer nearer to 4x on every cellphone. This means the Pixel 6 Pro is utilizing its 4x optical telephoto digital camera, whereas the iPhone makes use of its 3x telephoto digital camera and digitally crops in to realize a 4x magnification. The completely different is not main, however it’s nonetheless noticeable. The digital zoom that takes the iPhone from 3x to 4x zoom leads to some conspicuous processing, and a few lack of vibrance.
You can see the latter impact within the comparability under. The Pixel’s photograph is barely clearer, however the iPhone’s digital zoom makes its photograph look much less saturated. For instance, the inexperienced within the timber is far richer within the Pixel photograph.
It’s a lot the identical for these images of a statue head under. Notice once more the Pixel’s tendency to gentle up shadows, on this case on the man’s face. But additionally see how rather more vivacious the colours within the Pixel’s shot are.
In the images under of a canine park signal, the iPhone’s digital zoom results in some apparent heavy lifting by picture processing. The blades of grass, the ripples within the water and the feel on the signal all look artificially sharpened up.
The lengthy view
When it involves longer zooms, the Pixel 6 Pro is the winner — by a big margin.
The comparability under is of images taken by the iPhone 13 Pro and Pixel 6 Pro taken at 10x magnification. We return to the water cooler adorned by cricket figures, however from a better distance. The distinction is critical. The iPhone’s shot has extra noise and is blurrier. (Also be aware: The iPhone’s “10x” zoom was recurrently deeper than the “10x” zoom on each the Pixel and Samsung Galaxy.)
Below are 10x zoom photographs taken by the Pixel 6 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, which has constructed its model on zoom. Considering how superb the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is at zoom, I used to be stunned to see that it was outdone right here at 10x zoom by the Pixel. The Pixel 6 Pro regarded sharper and had extra vibrant colours, as you’ll be able to see within the greens on the sphere and the water cooler. The Pixel 6 Pro is digitally cropping its 4x telephoto digital camera, nevertheless it has a neat software program characteristic referred to as Super Res zoom to enhance the picture. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is counting on its 10x optical zoom telephoto digital camera.
The images under of my Booker DeWitt Funko Pop have been taken in a much less sunny surroundings. The Pixel 6 Pro photograph seems much more balanced — each in colours and in lighting. The iPhone’s zoomed photograph has an unnatural heat glow to it. The improved readability on the Pixel is not restricted to Booker both. Compare the textual content on the guide spines.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra did higher than the iPhone, however nonetheless fell sufferer to most of the identical points. It additionally had a heat glow, albeit much less distorted, and fewer particulars each on Booker and the books behind him. The Pixel wins once more.
OK, arduous mode. See that tree with the lilac flowers all the way in which to the opposite facet of the sphere? Let’s zoom in 10x.
For reference, I took ths photograph at 1x with the Pixel 6 Pro’s foremost digital camera.
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The images under have been taken at 10x digital zoom on each the Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone. This is a tricky photograph for any cellphone to seize, because the leaves on the timber present an ample alternative for noise. And, boy, is there noise. Still, the iPhone pic is extra distorted, as you will discover the the foliage seems a lot finer on the Pixel.
And under is a comparability of images from the Pixel and the Galaxy S21 Ultra of the identical scene taken at 10x. The photograph from the Pixel outdoes the one from the Galaxy, which seems flatter and fewer vivacious compared.
That the Pixel 6 Pro beats the S21 Ultra on 10x zoom is spectacular, since deep zooms are what the S21 Ultra is thought for. Note, although, that digital zoom on the Pixel goes as much as “solely” 20x, in contrast with the Galaxy’s 100x.
For extra on the Pixel 6 Pro, try the in-depth Pixel 6 Pro evaluate by my colleague Andy Hoyle.
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The Google Pixel 6 Pro’s distinctive design, nice software program additions, excellent digital camera high quality and stable all-around efficiency have already earned the cellphone a superb ranking in our full evaluate. With efficiency that is each bit pretty much as good as its design, it is the very best cellphone Google has ever made. The foremost digital camera is on par with these of the very best iPhones. And at $899 for the bottom 128GB mannequin, it trounces its premium cellphone rivals in value. Read our Google Pixel 6 Pro evaluate.
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The iPhone 13 Pro is the very best cellphone Apple produces and it acquired a stellar rating in our evaluate. The new smartphone provides a 3rd rear digital camera with 3x optical zoom (up from 2x on the iPhone 12), a stainless-steel physique and a ProMovement display screen with refresh charges as much as 120Hz for smoother scrolling. Read our iPhone 13 Pro evaluate.
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As Samsung’s elite flagship cellphone for 2021, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra includes a sensible 6.8-inch AMOLED show with an ultrasmooth 120Hz refresh fee that additionally helps Samsung’s S-Pen stylus, an superior rear digital camera with unbelievable zoom expertise and 5G connectivity for extra-speedy knowledge. It’s powered by the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon chip for superb efficiency. This is the very best in cell expertise that Samsung has to supply, and it is the Android cellphone to go for in case you’re eager to place cutting-edge cell phone tech in your pocket. Read our Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G evaluate.
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