The Google Pixel series is well known for capturing great images from just a single rear camera. Before 2019 comes to a close, Google has introduced its new Pixel 4 which finally features a dual-camera setup for the rear. The folks at DxOMark have completed their camera evaluation of the new pure Android smartphone and they have given a score of 112 points.
The Google Pixel 4 is still among the top ten on DxOMark Mobile but it’s nine points behind the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, five points behind the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G and a point behind the Honor 20 Pro and Galaxy S10+. As a comparison, the Pixel 3 scored 102 points.
To recap on the hardware, the Pixel 4’s main camera is a 12.2MP f/1.7 shooter, while the secondary unit is a 16MP f/2.4 camera that offers 2x optical zoom. Both cameras come with both optical and electronic image stabilisation. For the front, the device gets an 8MP f/2.0 selfie shooter that offers a 90-degree field of view.
The device scored 117 points for photo and 101 points for the video category. DxOMark remarked that the new Pixel offers a nice step up from its predecessor with noticeable improvements in most areas and obviously it gets a jump in quality for zoom shots.
However, they found it to be slightly behind other top performers due to the lack of an ultra-wide-angle camera and time-of-flight sensor. This puts it at a disadvantage in wide-angle and bokeh testing.
Oddly, the device only scored 56 points under the new night test protocols despite having Night Sight mode. That’s even lower than the Galaxy S10+ 5G’s 59 points for night tests. According to the review, the main drawback is the strong buildup of luminance and chromatic noise and low levels of detail when images were shot with the flash turned off.
For videos, the Pixel 4 emerged as a top performer with a top score of 101 points. The footages retain good detail in outdoor and indoor situations with vivid colours and pleasant white balance.
DxOMark Selfie
In the selfie department, the Pixel 4 is a point higher than its predecessor with an overall score of 92 points despite losing one additional camera. It scored 93 for photo and 91 for video.
The photo figures are lower as the bokeh isn’t as good as last year’s model but it makes up for it with better video performance. Exposure is generally good for the Pixel 4 and it has a fixed focus lens that offers a wide depth of field with limited focus range. As a result, selfies that at arm’s length are sharp but it tends to be slightly soft when selfies are taken from a closer distance.
You can read the full review as well as their selfie review on their website.
