Google Pixel 2 Review: This Thing is Smart!

Camera Hardware

The Pixel 2's camera hardware stands out as one of its most impressive features. Marques Brownlee highlights the 12-megapixel f/1.8 optically stabilized sensor, which is consistent across both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL models. This uniformity ensures that users get the same high-quality camera experience regardless of the phone size.

Everything that can be good about a camera is really good about the Pixel 2's camera, and it has the results to show it.

--- Marques Brownlee

The combination of this hardware with Google's image processing makes it arguably the best photo-capturing smartphone available, excelling in sharpness, contrast, color accuracy, and dynamic range 1.

   

Portrait Mode

The Pixel 2 introduces a groundbreaking approach to portrait mode using a single lens. Marques Brownlee explains that Google's use of split pixels allows for depth measurement without needing dual cameras, a feature typically required for portrait mode on other smartphones. This innovative software-driven method often surpasses the performance of dual-lens systems.

Google's software can measure the difference in depth using a difference in microns between the split pixels instead of having two separate cameras.

--- Marques Brownlee

Additionally, the Pixel 2's front-facing camera uses AI to achieve similar effects, further showcasing Google's prowess in software innovation 2.