The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are now official! Google's flagships are known for their amazing camera features, and it seems like this year is no different. The Pixel 8 has some mind-bending AI-powered tricks for both still shots and videos.
Videos have been given a big overhaul on the Pixel 8 with the brand-new Audio Magic Eraser the headline feature. If you've ever had background noise ruining your video, that's no longer an issue. With the power of the Tensor G3 chip, you can now highlight individual noises and raise or lower their volume to make them less prominent. There are also video improvements for low-light video (with improved autofocus), dynamic range and more accurate skin tones.
As for still shots, Google showed some very creepy/exciting tricks. The one that captured my imagination/nightmares is called Best Take. When taking group shots, there's always someone who blinks or pulls a face and now your phone can recognise that person and apply a different facial expression from a photo you've previously taken of that person. You can then mix and match faces to form a composite photo of multiple shots.
As well as the trademark Magic Eraser, Pixel 8 owners can also utilise Magic Editor. This is a Photoshop Firefly-style system that lets you adjust photos to reposition recolour and resize elements.
I'm not the best smartphone photographer, so these features are a blessing for me and might make my holiday snaps this year finally worth showing others. The Pixel 8 Pro in particular has received a particular camera boost with a new 48MP Telephoto lens. These changes, coupled with the new Actua and Super Actua displays should make everything look more beautiful than ever.
