The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional could be two of the most productive telephones Google has ever made. The Professional type particularly has a fantastic 6.7-inch, 120Hz show, a not-too-extreme worth of $899 (£849, AU$1,299) and, in fact, the cameras. It is at all times the cameras. The conspicuous digital camera bar at the again properties a trio of shooters: a first-rate 50-megapixel digital camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 48-megapixel telephoto that provides 4x optical zoom.
That closing digital camera is especially necessary. Following the well-liked adoption of Portrait mode and Evening mode, zoom is changing into the large telephone digital camera function for plenty of corporations. That is in particular true of Samsung, which advertised its closing two Galaxy S flagships in keeping with their 100x zoom.
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So how does the Pixel 6 Professional stack up? I field-tested it right here in Sydney in opposition to the iPhone 13 Professional to determine. I discovered that the iPhone usually carried out higher with optical zoom — this is, as much as 3x, the place the 13 Professional maxes out — however that the Pixel was once decisively higher as you zoom out farther. I additionally when compared the Pixel 6 Professional to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely for longer zooms, and was once shocked to look the Pixel 6 Professional outperform the zoom grasp.
iPhone vs. Pixel: Optical conflict
Let’s get started by way of evaluating the iPhone 13 Professional immediately with the Pixel 6 Professional at 3x zoom. That suggests the iPhone 13 Professional is the use of its devoted 3x optical telephoto digital camera and the Pixel 6 is the use of its major wide-angle digital camera and digitally cropping in to 3x.
My first instance is a photograph taken on a brilliant, sunny day of a painted mural with colourful colours and action-shot cricketers.
To set the scene, I took this picture at the Pixel the use of the usual wide-angle lens at 1x.
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Zooming in to 3x, we begin to see how otherwise the iPhone and Pixel seize pictures. The iPhone takes hotter footage, maximum particularly noticed within the other color of inexperienced produced by way of every telephone. Whether or not that is excellent or unhealthy is dependent in large part on style, so I’m going to go away that apart for the instant. The Pixel picture seems to be love it’s implemented the Construction clear out from Instagram and raised it considerably: Main points that glance refined within the iPhone image grow to be pronounced within the Pixel picture. Understand the crack that runs between the paintings of the bowler and the girl to his left.
I want the iPhone’s extra herbal, colourful glance, however you might want the main points that the Pixel’s processing brings out.
Subsequent up, please revel in this decaying artwork piece I discovered in an alley.
For reference, right here is a photograph from the Google Pixel 6 Professional thinking about its major digital camera at 1x.
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Under are footage taken at 3x on every telephone. Once more, the lighting fixtures prerequisites are best possible. This time, although, the effects are much less ambiguous. The iPhone 13’s picture was once brighter, had higher distinction and captured extra. In case you have a look at the rips and tears within the canvas, you can in finding way more element within the iPhone’s shot. Miserable element, on this case, however element however!
Now to a extra sophisticated instance. The footage underneath have been taken at night time, however in a lit-up atmosphere. This time it is the Pixel’s picture that is brighter, however no longer essentially in a great way. The sunshine is much less balanced within the Pixel’s rendition, which leads to the iPhone’s model having higher distinction. (See the blacks within the cactus barrel.)
On the identical time, although, the Pixel controlled to pick out up main points ignored by way of the iPhone. Maximum notable are the spider webs at the cactus to the fitting. This may be an instance of one thing I realized so much within the Pixel — its dislike of shadows. The Pixel’s cameras paintings laborious to seize main points in spaces that arise darkish within the iPhone. And take note, the Pixel 6 Professional is the use of its major digital camera and cropping in, which additionally offers it somewhat of a bonus.
Under isn’t a zoomed shot, however I sought after to incorporate it for instance the purpose in regards to the Pixel 6 Professional. Within the cactus picture above, you spot that it might backfire by way of lighting fixtures up spaces in some way that appears synthetic. Within the footage underneath although, it impresses by way of catching a large number of data ignored by way of the iPhone.
In the case of low gentle, I usually discovered the iPhone did a greater activity, although no longer at all times. Within the underneath footage of a mural, the iPhone controlled to seize extra gentle and element. Notice, although, that the Pixel’s shot has deeper colours.
iPhone 13 Professional as opposed to Pixel 6 Professional, 3x zoom.
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And the place the Pixel can every so often produce pictures that glance overprocessed all over the day, at night time I discovered it was once continuously the opposite. Within the underneath comparability of a stone move, the iPhone’s model is brighter, but in addition has extra noise and an ugly hue when compared with the Pixel’s.
Now let’s transfer nearer to 4x on every telephone. This implies the Pixel 6 Professional is the use of its 4x optical telephoto digital camera, whilst the iPhone makes use of its 3x telephoto digital camera and digitally plants in to reach a 4x magnification. The other is not primary, however it’s nonetheless noticeable. The virtual zoom that takes the iPhone from 3x to 4x zoom leads to some conspicuous processing, and a few lack of vibrance.
You’ll see the latter impact within the comparability underneath. The Pixel’s picture is quite clearer, however the iPhone’s virtual zoom makes its picture glance much less saturated. As an example, the fairway within the timber is way richer within the Pixel picture.
It is a lot the similar for those footage of a statue head underneath. Understand once more the Pixel’s tendency to illuminate shadows, on this case at the fellow’s face. But in addition see how a lot more vivacious the colours within the Pixel’s shot are.
Within the footage underneath of a canine park signal, the iPhone’s virtual zoom leads to a couple obtrusive heavy lifting by way of symbol processing. The blades of grass, the ripples within the water and the feel at the signal all glance artificially sharpened up.
The lengthy view
In the case of longer zooms, the Pixel 6 Professional is the winner — by way of a big margin.
The comparability underneath is of footage taken by way of the iPhone 13 Professional and Pixel 6 Professional taken at 10x magnification. We go back to the water cooler embellished by way of cricket figures, however from a better distance. The variation is essential. The iPhone’s shot has extra noise and is blurrier. (Additionally be aware: The iPhone’s “10x” zoom was once incessantly deeper than the “10x” zoom on each the Pixel and Samsung Galaxy.)
Under are 10x zoom pictures taken by way of the Pixel 6 Professional and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely, which has constructed its emblem on zoom. Making an allowance for how wonderful the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely is at zoom, I used to be shocked to look that it was once outdone right here at 10x zoom by way of the Pixel. The Pixel 6 Professional seemed sharper and had extra colourful colours, as you’ll see within the vegetables at the area and the water cooler. The Pixel 6 Professional is digitally cropping its 4x telephoto digital camera, nevertheless it has a neat device function known as Tremendous Res zoom to reinforce the picture. The Galaxy S21 Extremely is depending on its 10x optical zoom telephoto digital camera.
The footage underneath of my Booker DeWitt Funko Pop have been taken in a much less sunny atmosphere. The Pixel 6 Professional picture seems to be way more balanced — each in colours and in lighting fixtures. The iPhone’s zoomed picture has an unnatural heat glow to it. The enhanced readability at the Pixel is not restricted to Booker both. Examine the textual content at the e book spines.
The Galaxy S21 Extremely did higher than the iPhone, however nonetheless fell sufferer to lots of the identical problems. It additionally had a heat glow, albeit much less distorted, and less main points each on Booker and the books at the back of him. The Pixel wins once more.
OK, laborious mode. See that tree with the lilac plants all of the approach to the opposite aspect of the sphere? Let’s zoom in 10x.
For reference, I took ths picture at 1x with the Pixel 6 Professional’s major digital camera.
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The footage underneath have been taken at 10x virtual zoom on each the Pixel 6 Professional and iPhone. This can be a tricky picture for any telephone to snatch, because the leaves at the timber supply an considerable alternative for noise. And, boy, is there noise. Nonetheless, the iPhone pic is extra distorted, as you can realize the the foliage seems to be a lot finer at the Pixel.
And underneath is a comparability of images from the Pixel and the Galaxy S21 Extremely of the similar scene taken at 10x. The picture from the Pixel outdoes the only from the Galaxy, which seems to be flatter and not more vivacious compared.
That the Pixel 6 Professional beats the S21 Extremely on 10x zoom is spectacular, since deep zooms are what the S21 Extremely is understood for. Notice, although, that virtual zoom at the Pixel is going as much as “most effective” 20x, when compared with the Galaxy’s 100x.
For extra at the Pixel 6 Professional, take a look at the in-depth Pixel 6 Professional assessment by way of my colleague Andy Hoyle.
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The Google Pixel 6 Professional’s distinctive design, nice device additions, very good digital camera high quality and cast all-around efficiency have already earned the telephone a very good ranking in our complete assessment. With efficiency that is each bit as excellent as its design, it is the most productive telephone Google has ever made. The principle digital camera is on par with the ones of the most productive iPhones. And at $899 for the bottom 128GB type, it trounces its top class telephone opponents in worth. Learn our Google Pixel 6 Professional assessment.
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The iPhone 13 Professional is the most productive telephone Apple produces and it gained a stellar rating in our assessment. The brand new smartphone provides a 3rd rear digital camera with 3x optical zoom (up from 2x at the iPhone 12), a stainless steel frame and a ProMotion display screen with refresh charges as much as 120Hz for smoother scrolling. Learn our iPhone 13 Professional assessment.
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As Samsung’s elite flagship telephone for 2021, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Extremely includes a good 6.8-inch AMOLED show with an ultrasmooth 120Hz refresh fee that still helps Samsung’s S-Pen stylus, an amazing rear digital camera with unbelievable zoom talents and 5G connectivity for extra-speedy information. It is powered by way of the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon chip for fantastic efficiency. That is the most productive in cellular era that Samsung has to provide, and it is the Android telephone to head for if you are willing to position state-of-the-art cell phone tech for your pocket. Learn our Galaxy S21 Extremely 5G assessment.
