Pixel 9 Pro rumored to use last year’s main camera, but new telephoto, UW, & selfie sensor

Abner Li | Jul 16 2024 - 8:07 am PT

Photography is the original claim to fame for Google’s phones, and a Pixel 9 Pro camera leak today details what to expect this year.

According to Android Authority, Google will be retaining the same main wide sensor as the Pixel 8/Pro on the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro XL: the 50MP Samsung GNK. On last year’s phones, specs include ƒ/1.68 aperture, 82° FOV, and 1.2 μm pixel width.

Meanwhile, the Sony IMX858 (50MP – 1/2.51”) will reportedly be used for the ultrawide, telephoto, and selfie cameras. Sony bills it as a “compact image sensor for sub-cameras that is equipped with various functions equivalent to those of a smartphone main camera.”

This is a particularly significant upgrade from the 10.5 MP selfie camera we have on the 8 Pro, and every past Pixel for the matter.

Looking at the Pixel 9, the Sony IMX858 is the ultrawide camera (with the GNK as the wide), while Google is using the same selfie sensor (Samsung 3J1) as last year but with autofocus, which was already the case on the Pixel 8 Pro.

Meanwhile, the Pixel Camera app is adding support for 8K video capture at 30FPS, with the GNK introduced last year already supporting that resolution. Google might be enabling that on the Pixel 9 series, though today’s report is not sure which models will offer it.