Pixel 10 Series Camera Overhaul: Standard Model Gains Telephoto Lens, Pro Model May See No Upgrades?

Pixel 10 Series Camera Overhaul: Standard Model Gains Telephoto Lens, Pro Model May See No Upgrades?AndroidAuthority, citing documents from Google internal sources, recently revealed major changes in the camera hardware of the highly anticipated Pixel 10 series. Since the Pixel 6, Google has consistently employed a relatively fixed camera configuration strategy, where the standard model features a main camera and an ultrawide camera, while the Pro version adds a telephoto lens

Pixel 10 Series Camera Overhaul: Standard Model Gains Telephoto Lens, Pro Model May See No Upgrades?

AndroidAuthority, citing documents from Google internal sources, recently revealed major changes in the camera hardware of the highly anticipated Pixel 10 series. Since the Pixel 6, Google has consistently employed a relatively fixed camera configuration strategy, where the standard model features a main camera and an ultrawide camera, while the Pro version adds a telephoto lens.

However, according to the leaked information, the Pixel 10 will break this tradition by introducing a telephoto lens to the standard model for the first time. At the same time, however, the overall camera specifications of the standard Pixel 10 are lower compared to the Pro version. In some aspects, its camera configuration is even closer to the Pixel 9a than the Pixel 10 Pro.

Specifically, the Pixel 10's main camera will replace the previous GNV sensor with the Samsung GN8, significantly reducing the sensor size. The ultrawide lens will also be downgraded from the Sony IMX858 to the IMX712. Notably, both of these sensors are already used in the Pixel 9a.

A smaller sensor size usually means a decline in low-light shooting performance. While advanced algorithms and AI optimization can partially compensate for this deficiency, the physical impact is unavoidable.

In contrast, the Pixel 10 Pro's camera hardware configuration remains consistent with last year's Pixel 9 Pro, suggesting that the Pro version may not have significant upgrades in camera hardware.

Nevertheless, the addition of a telephoto lens to the Pixel 10 is still noteworthy. It's reported that the telephoto lens will be an 11MP Samsung 3J1 sensor, which was previously used in the telephoto module of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Regarding the front-facing camera, the Pixel 10 retains the configuration of last year's model without any changes.

In summary, the Pixel 10's camera system has undergone an almost complete restructuring, while the Pro series hardware may see no upgrades at all. Google hopes to further unlock the potential of existing camera modules through the new image signal processor (ISP) built into the Tensor G5 chip and algorithmic optimization.

Here is the specifications comparison list provided by AndroidAuthority:

| Model | Main Camera | Ultrawide Camera | Telephoto Camera | Front Camera |

| ------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |

| Pixel 9a | Samsung GN8 50MP 1/1.95" | Sony IMX712 13MP 1/3.1" | - | Sony IMX712 13MP 1/3.1" |

| Pixel 9 | Samsung GNV 50MP 1/1.31" | Sony IMX858 48MP 1/2.55" | - | Samsung 3J1 11MP 1/1.3" (with Autofocus) |

| Pixel 10 | Samsung GN8 50MP 1/1.95" | Sony IMX712 13MP 1/3.1" | Samsung 3J1 11MP 1/1.3" | Samsung 3J1 11MP 1/1.3" (with Autofocus) |

| Pixel 10 Pro/Pro XL | Samsung GNV 50MP 1/1.31" | Sony IMX858 48MP 1/2.55" | Sony IMX858 48MP 1/2.55" | Sony IMX858 48MP 1/2.55" (with Autofocus) |

| Pixel 9 Pro/Pro XL | Samsung GNV 50MP 1/1.31" | Sony IMX858 48MP 1/2.55" | Sony IMX858 48MP 1/2.55" | Sony IMX858 48MP 1/2.55" (with Autofocus) |

Furthermore, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has relatively minor camera changes, with the only difference being the replacement of the Sony IMX787 used in the Pixel 8a for the main camera with the Samsung GN8 from the Pixel 9a.

| Model | Main Camera | Ultrawide Camera | Telephoto Camera | Internal Front Camera | External Front Camera |

| --------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |

| Pixel 9 Pro Fold | Sony IMX787 64MP (Cropped) 1/1.73" | Samsung 3J1 12MP 1/3.2" | Samsung 3J1 12MP 1/3.2" | Samsung 3K1 11MP 1/3.94" | Samsung 3K1 11MP 1/3.94" |

| Pixel 10 Pro Fold| Samsung GN8 50MP (Cropped?) 1/1.95" | Samsung 3J1 12MP 1/3.2" | Samsung 3J1 12MP 1/3.2" | Samsung 3K1 11MP 1/3.94" | Samsung 3K1 11MP 1/3.94" |

This leaked information has sparked much speculation regarding the camera performance of the Pixel 10 series. While the standard Pixel 10 gains a telephoto lens, the downgraded main and ultrawide lenses leave the final image quality to be further verified. As for the Pixel 10 Pro, the potential lack of substantial hardware upgrades leaves the question of whether algorithmic optimization can bring significant improvements. Let's wait and see what the final camera performance of the Pixel 10 series will be.