Code snippets suggest the new series will support staggered HDR
Photography has always been the Pixel phones’ strongest suite. Google pioneered machine learning augmented cameras that do a lot of the heavy lifting during post processing, and that is no less true for the Google Pixel 7 Pro and its smaller sibling, which offer a number of incredible camera features. It looks like the company isn’t ready to slow down anytime soon, as next year’s Pixel 8 might come with staggered HDR support—which would mean a new primary camera, too.
Developer and leaker Kuba Wojciechowski obtained an unobfuscated version of Google’s camera app for budget phones, Camera Go, which shares resources with the regular Camera app found on Pixel phones. In the code, he spotted references to devices called “Husky” and “Shiba,” which are in all likelihood the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, saying that these devices support staggered HDR.
Staggered HDR is a slightly different approach to HDR where a long and short exposure shot is taken at the same time rather than in quick succession of each other. It’s supposed to make the capture time even shorter when compared to Google’s current approach, which could reduce the likelihood of ghosting or strobe effects when the algorithm isn’t able to correctly match longer and shorter exposure shots within the same photo.
The thing with staggered HDR is that the camera currently shipping on the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 6, the 50MP Samsung GN1, simply doesn’t support it on a hardware level. If the code found by Kuba Wojciechowski isn’t just part of some experimental assembly, this strongly suggests that Google will upgrade the primary camera with next year’s Pixel. There are multiple options, but one camera that would be particularly similar to the GN1 would be the 50MP GN2, which does support staggered HDR.
The GN1 sensor on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 was a significant step forward for the series that previously relied on the same camera first introduced with the Pixel 3 in terms of hardware. Before then, Google mostly focused on improving the software and hardware surrounding the camera, with new algorithms, chips, and more.
If Google does switch to a new sensor with the Pixel 8, this would represent a shift in strategy. Rather than sticking to the same camera for years and iteratively improving the surrounding architecture to get the most out of it, the company would opt for a two-fold strategy where it improves both hardware and software. Given the departures we’ve seen in the company’s camera department in recent years, it wouldn’t be surprising to see new members try different approaches.
