Google’s Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL bring big camera upgrades, specifically in the form of a new telephoto lens that comes with the main one. There are also multiple image processing improvements that affect all modes on the phones, from night vision to portrait mode.
If you’re thinking of upgrading from the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, you might be wondering if the camera upgrades are significant enough. Hopefully our Pixel 4 XL vs. Pixel 3 XL camera showdown will answer that question for you.
Camera Specifications
The Pixel 3 XL has a 12.2-megapixel lens with an f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). That’s all. The Pixel 4 XL has a 12.2-megapixel lens with f/1.7 aperture, but it’s also paired with a 16-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture, both with OIS.
The main lens uses the same sensor as last year’s model, but there are a few differences. Google said the sensor has a higher base dynamic range, so it can capture better-exposed shots in high-contrast scenes, and it also adds support for ultra-long exposures for astrophotography. The company also told Digital Trends that despite the wider aperture, corner-to-corner sharpness is better, which is often not the case with wide-aperture cameras.
One thing to keep in mind is that many of these camera upgrades will be coming to the Pixel 3, and while you might not get the exact same results, you’ll probably get pretty close to the Pixel 4.
Disclaimer: I analyzed these photos on a professional color calibrated monitor. Please note that images may differ depending on the screen you are viewing them on.
Cube
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
We started at the Alamo, also known as the Astor Place Cube in lower Manhattan. You can immediately see the two different tones: the Pixel 4 XL photo is cooler, while the Pixel 3 XL photo is warmer. This could be due to the sun, which was able to set directly behind the clouds when I switched to the Pixel 4.
It doesn’t matter. Zoom in and you can see that the Pixel 3’s photo is full of grain, while the Pixel 4’s image has much less noise. In the Pixel 4 photo, you can even slightly see the bottom of the cube facing the camera. On the other hand, the Pixel 3 handles the sky a bit better, it’s not overexposed, though colors generally look a bit more natural on the Pixel 4.
It’s hard to decide, but I’m going with the Pixel 4 because you can see a bit more of the cube and because there’s less grain.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
2x Zoom: Brown
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The Pixel 4 XL has a telephoto lens that provides 2x optical zoom, and here it’s compared to the more or less similar digital zoom of the Pixel 3. Look closely and you’ll see the difference between optical and digital zoom – detail in photo on the Pixel 3 it’s blurry when viewed up close, while it’s sharper on the Pixel 4. You can read the word “toilet” in the shape that’s taped to the window in the Pixel 4’s photo, but it’s a bit blurry for read on the Pixel 3.
The Pixel 3 is too strong with contrast, while the Pixel 4’s photography is more realistic and looks good.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
Super Res Zoom: Distance Poles
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
What happens when you go beyond telephoto? Here’s a picture of the maximum 8x digital zoom on the Pixel 4 XL and the maximum zoom on the Pixel 3 XL. The difference is like taking your glasses off and putting them back on: the Pixel 4’s photo is much sharper in all parts of the photo, including tree branches. Even the colors are a bit more vibrant.
It’s a photo I’d readily share, but I can’t say the same for the Pixel 3 image.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
Portraits: A dog on a bench
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Google said it improved Portrait mode, as well as a feature called learning-based white balance, which adapts to the environment and applies white balance to all photo modes for natural tones – that’s perfectly evident here. The dog’s outline is almost perfect in the Pixel 4 XL photo, with just a mess between the right leg and the body. The Pixel 3 XL has a few more bugs, including the same one as the Pixel 4, but the bench on the left side of the frame isn’t blurry for some reason, which spoils the look.
The Pixel 3 has a warmer tone that affects the dog’s fur, the belt, pretty much everything in the shot. The Pixel 4 is more accurate with its white balance here and it looks incredibly natural. Both have exquisite details, but the winner is an easy choice.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
self portrait portrait
- 1. Pixel 4 XL
- 2. Pixel 3 XL
Time for a selfie. Let’s use portrait mode for greater effect. Not much analysis is needed here, as it’s apparent how much better the colors in the Pixel 4’s photo are compared to the Pixel 3, which looks dull and flat.
The Pixel 4 also does a better job with sky exposure, though both phones do a near-perfect job with the contours around my head.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
Food
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
This is a tricky move for any phone. The food here is so red because there was a heat lamp shining on me. Zoom in and you can see that the Pixel 4 photo is a bit more detailed, but more importantly, this photo tries to bring in some of the natural light that was present.
It looks like the Pixel 3 XL gave up and didn’t correct the rest of the photo without red light.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
williamsburg bridge
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Here’s another situation where learning-based white balance comes in handy, and the difference is impressive. The Pixel 4 XL’s photo not only brightens the entire image so you can see the sky, but it also maintains an accurate color scheme. The bulbs were not as yellow as seen in the Pixel 3 photo.
Even so, both photos have a lot of detail and just a little grain, but the colors are much better in the Pixel 4 XL photo.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
Night View: Overpass
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
I didn’t see much of a difference when comparing Night Sight on both phones, but the Pixel 4 XL is still the winner there. If you look closely, you’ll see that the Pixel 4’s photo is sharper overall, and you’ll also see warmer tones in the Pixel 3 XL’s image; the corrected colors in the Pixel 4 XL’s shot make for a more pleasing photo, but the differences here aren’t huge.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
Portrait of a dog indoors
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Pixel 3 XL Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
The subtle improvements in portrait mode are still visible when there is not enough lighting. Both phones do a great job with the outlines around your subject, but the Pixel 4 XL wins for less blur. You can see the bug in the Pixel 3 image next to the dog’s eyes.
Images on the Pixel 4 have less grain, more detail, and colors don’t look sharp. It’s a great photo.
Winner: Google Pixel 4 XL
portrait selfies
- 1. Pixel 4 XL
- 2. Pixel 3 XL
The Pixel 3 XL gets its first and only win here. This Williamsburg Bridge portrait selfie isn’t quite as warm as the Pixel 4 photo, but it does offer a brighter scene; you can see the blue sky here for example.
More importantly, my hair, which is legitimately everywhere due to the wind, is better captured in the Pixel 3’s shot, while the Pixel 4 almost makes it look like I cut my hair short.
Winner: Google Pixel 3 XL
Overall Winner: Pixel 4 XL
There are no surprises here: the new phone is better than the old one. But you may have been surprised to see how well the Pixel 3 XL performed compared to the Pixel 4 XL. I don’t think you’ll need to upgrade the camera from the Pixel 3 to the Pixel 4, especially since some of these improvements will be coming to the Pixel 3 via a software update.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn