Here’s how the Pixel 8 Pro’s camera has changed since the Pixel 6 [Video]

Ben Schoon | Oct 19 2023 - 10:30 am PT

Google’s Pixel phones have long been praised for their cameras, but the past three generations have all been using 50MP camera sensors. Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, though, are using a slightly newer sensor, and a detailed comparison offers a look at how the camera has changed.

Google, for the better part of the Pixel’s life, used 12MP cameras. That finally changed in the Pixel 6 Pro, which moved up to a 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor, with pretty excellent results. That same sensor was used in Pixel 7 but has now been swapped out in the Pixel 8 series with what is thought to be the Samsung GNV sensor.

But does a new sensor and upgrades to the underlying Tensor chip actually result in improvements to the camera?

It’s been pretty clear that the answer is yes, and they’re visible side-by-side. Benjamin Aboagye on the YouTube channel “Lover of Tech “took the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 8 Pro through a very in-depth comparison that put the three generations through a variety of different scenarios, both with photo and mainly video, to see the difference.

There are some real improvements shown throughout, including beyond just the differences in quality. For instance, during one of the video tests, we can see how much smoother the transition between lenses is on the Pixel 8 Pro compared to how much of a visible jump there was on the Pixel 6 Pro when zooming in. Plus, when shooting at 4K60 on the Pixel 6 Pro, the 4x telephoto lens couldn’t be used without stopping the recording, as it was limited to 30fps.

The camera on Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro is clearly the best Google has offered to date, but it’s interesting to see the generational improvements the company is making each year.