ISSUE 46 • ANDROID ADVISOR 11REVIEWuse and quality of photos. Low light shots show detail
excellently, and the software pays attention to the
composition of the whole scene to great effect.
Despite there only being one lens, the Pixel 2 has
a Portrait Mode like the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus. This
is achieved by Google using a dual-pixel sensor in
both cameras, meaning each pixel takes in the image
and focus data rather than only being able to handle
one. This means the processing can easier identify the
intended subject of a portrait mode shot.
Results are slightly less natural than the dual
camera results of an iPhone 8 Plus or Galaxy Note 8,
but for a single lens to be able to do this is absolutely
ridiculous. You will love it, as will selfie-addicts. More
than any phone, the photos from the Pixel 2 will not
need much tinkering before uploading to social media.
Unlike Apple’s portrait forays, the Pixel one
arrives at launch not in beta and fully formed. One
thing you will have to wait for though is AR sticker
integration for photo-fun. But with the mountain
of photo data Google is sitting on, I expect the
experience will be decent.
Finally, take a photo of something and chances
are Google knows what it is. The Pixel 2 is the first
phone to get Google Lens integration in Google
Photos. Go to your camera roll and tap the Lens
icon and you’ll more often than not get a good
result. It can identify buildings and landmarks, or
extract URLs, email addresses and phone numbers
to then immediately action.
It’s very good but not something everyone is pining
for. It could quietly be the future though, particularly