The Pixel 8 series of smartphones will not be released soon. Nevertheless, it is already possible to get an idea of some innovations that Google plans to implement in future smartphones. Developer Kuba Wojciechowski analyzed some code snippets of the camera app and found a reference to Staggered HDR, an image processing technique that is currently not used in Pixel smartphones.
Google was one of the first companies to advance mobile HDR and computational photography, making them popular. Now, all things considered, the search giant intends to take these technologies to the next generation. Google now uses HDR Plus Bracketing, which involves taking photos in quick succession and using them to create a final image with a wide dynamic range. This method is good, but it is more difficult for the system to work with moving objects, since separate frames are used. Staggered HDR is a shooting method using short and long exposures almost simultaneously. At the same time, shooting with a short exposure immediately follows a shooting with a long exposure even before the long exposure has ended.
Discount shorts, the British language of Google, as well as a continuous version with Google Camera Go, which includes a link to what is definitely confirmed that the flagship Pixels in 2023 — Husky and Shiba — will support staggered HDR. pic.twitter.com/YdaWTlGznN
— Kuba Wojciechowski⚡ (@Za_Raczke) December 19, 2022
The Rolling shutter effect allows you to scan the sensor from top to bottom, and in this case there is no need to wait for the end of one exposure before starting another. This means there are fewer motion artifacts to deal with and less power is consumed in the process. Samsung claims that this method reduces power consumption by 24% compared to a method that uses individual frames.
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If Google does implement Staggered HDR, it will require an upgrade to the camera hardware base. The Samsung Isocell GN1 sensor currently used in the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro does not support Staggered HDR. But such support is provided by the Isocell GN2 sensor, which also offers some improvements in autofocus performance.
Source: The Verge
