If you own aGoogle Pixel 8 , you ’re plausibly moderately proud of with the camera and the photos it takes — but you ’re also plausibly eyeing up theGoogle Pixel 9with its cool new design and trashy AI features .
What about the television camera ? After all , they are n’t all that different on paper , so will it be worth upgrading if you take a lot of photo ? I ’ve taken over 100 pictures with both phones to see whether it ’s worth changing .
Camera specs
Boththe Pixel 8 and Pixel 9share the same 50 - megapixel primary camera with an f/1.68 aperture , but there has been a change with the ultrawide tv camera . The Pixel 9 has a 48MP car - direction sensor with a 123 - grade field of view , while the Pixel 8 has a 12MP ultrawide sensing element with a 125 - degree field of view . The aperture has changed , too , with the Pixel 9 ’s f/1.7 aperture improving over the Pixel 8 ’s f/2.2 aperture .
Neither have a telephotograph camera , but the Pixel 9 promises to provide “ ocular tone ” pic at 2x zoom , and both have Google ’s 8x Super Res Zoom feature article . Beyond this , while the Pixel 8 and Pixel 9 use Android 14 , the Pixel 9 has the latest Tensor G4 central processing unit alternatively of the Tensor G3 used in the Pixel 8 .
Google has not specifically statedthat AI enhances the main tv camera ’s pic , but the Pixel 9 does have various AI image tools , such as the Reimagine mode in Google Photos and thePixel Studio AIimage generation app . All the pic below were taken in auto style and have not been edited , but they have allbeen resized for easier online viewing after being examined on a monitor .
Google Pixel 8 (left) and Google Pixel 9Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Main camera
Unsurprisingly , it ’s very hard to spot any difference between the main photographic camera , even with the two phones using different processor . I ’m used to screen phone where there areonly minimal differences in the pic , but this time , I ’m not sure there areanydifferences at all , no matter how nearly I stare .
Let ’s bulge out with the exposure of a dog . The details , lily-white correspondence , colors , and depth of plain are all nigh superposable , with only minuscule variation when you count nearly , but none make one photograph well than the other . Neither photo has its own character ; instead , itsharesa character . None of this is a bad affair , as both exposure see peachy .
The second photo of the vegetable stand show outstandingly similar colors , subtle differences in black horizontal surface , and the same hazy sky and backdrop intervention . One photo is not better than the other ; they are both essentially the same , even with the diminutive deviation I can spot in the black levels .
Google Pixel 9Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The beach scene does show where the Pixel 9 can improve , though . In some photos , the Pixel 8 ’s sky tends to show a slightly deeper blue than the Pixel 9 ’s , and in this case , the Pixel 9 also sharpened the total photo more effectively than the Pixel 8 . But to spot these change , you do have to view the pic alongside each other .
In the last photo , the Pixel 8 ’s deeper color treatment can be seen on the oil drum , and when you crop the photograph mighty down , the Pixel 9 shows a tiny bit more detail , such as in the writing on the staircase . However , I do n’t conceive anyone will genuinely notice or handle about these remainder , as most of the meter , the exposure look identical to each other .
Winner : haul
Google Pixel 8Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Wide-angle camera
If the two phones in the main television camera category were impossible to divide , things get easy in the extensive - angle category . The Pixel 9 ’s wide - slant television camera can take good pic than the Pixel 8 , as seen in the first lesson of the vineyard . The grass in the foreground and the vines farm in the center of the scene are much acuate , while the leaves at the top of the form have less blur , too .
However , do n’t carry the Pixel 9 to always take a superior wide - slant photo . The wide - slant beach panorama again shows the difference in the sky ’s colouring from the Pixel 8 , but otherwise , detail and keenness are very close between them , and I do n’t think it ’s just to call one just than the other .
In the last photo of the church service , there ’s some slight alteration in detail when you see closely at the tower ; plus , the Pixel 9 does have a marginally more vivacious timber , but otherwise , it ’s hard to say it took a immensely best photo than the Pixel 8 . The Pixel 9 is live on to bring home the bacon this category simply because it does sometimes take a gamey - character pic , but it ’s by no means a decisive victory .
Winner : Google Pixel 9
2x and 8x zoom
Neither phone has an optical rapid climb or dedicated telephotograph camera , so the 2x shortcut in the app digitally zooms into the shot . Unsurprisingly , the pair show very small conflict in photograph lineament . Both 2x rapid climb scene of the tomato have hopeful colour and a lovely depth of field , plus plenty of detail on the boxwood and text , too .
The 2x shot of the metal wheel shew how little the camera take issue . They produce what I think is the same photo , with similar black levels ( slightly deep on the Pixel 8 , just like its wild blue yonder ) , point , and depth of field . I ca n’t split them enough to say one is good , but I guess the 2x performance on both cameras is utterly usable in most spot .
When you switch to the 8x Super Res Zoom , the Pixel 9 does improve on the Pixel 8 , with less disturbance , penetrating edges , and less aggressive edge enhancement . It does perform practiced than the Pixel 8 at 8x , but the photos are so plainly digitally enhanced that I do n’t bang when you ’d use them for a photo you ’d want to keep or show off . For this reason , it ca n’t be a deciding aspect of the category .
Portrait mode and Action Pan
I was anticipate a few more difference of opinion between the Portrait and Action Pan modes , drive mainly by the difference in the mainframe and Google ’s AI pushing in photo editing . However , when it comes to depth of field and edge realization , the two cameras are highly standardised . Even so , there are some difference in color discourse .
The two Portrait photos above show similar situations , but pernicious difference between the colors in both . The Pixel 8 is more punchy , while the Pixel 9 has a more innate tone that can look slimly flavorless . Again , these are very small change between the two , and just like other family , neither is dramatically better than the other picture . I ’d be pleased with either trope .
Action Pan ( which contribute move blur to shots of moving objects ) persist quite in effect , and it ’s incredibly prosperous to use , too . I did spot some difference in bite with the Pixel 9 , but they were discrepant , suggest it may have more to do with the direction I was necessitate the photograph than the television camera or mode itself . Both cameras make serious use of the Action Pan mode , just like the Portrait mode , and they ’re fun to use .
Night mode
The Pixel 9 can take brighter photo in very downhearted light compared to the Pixel 8 , but in most other situations , the two camera have few differences . So , to emphasize this and not duplicate myself yet again , here are a couple of examples showing the Pixel 9 ’s impressive lowlight power . In the first photograph of the wooden roof at Nox , the Pixel 9 brings out more detail in the shadows , particularly in the pitch - non-white top left .
I do n’t think it crap the Pixel 9 ’s photo better , just bright , but the second photo taken in very low Christ Within is better . There ’s a lot less blur in the Pixel 9 ’s photo , resulting in a steadier and sharp photograph . you may see the difference throughout the image , from the wooden room access to the stack of roof tile . In very low light , the Pixel 9 takes sharper photos than the Pixel 8 , but at other clip , the two are comparable .
The Pixel 9 wins, but only just
The Google Pixel 9 has taken wins with the broad - slant camera and in the Night mode test , but the other categories are all draws , with minimal differences between the picture , if any . It means two thing . The first is that the Pixel 9 ’s camera is scarce any different from the Pixel 8 ’s , and the second is that the Pixel 8 still has a brilliant camera . I should mention that I have n’t been disappointed by any of the photos taken with the two cameras .
amazingly , the Pixel 9 ’s technical differences and greater emphasis on AI did n’t ensue in more dramatic differences . Even mode like Action Pan delivered similar results . The Pixel 9 is the winner of our test , and the camera is very good , but there ’s no reason to promote from the Pixel 8 to get a more or less improved wide - angle television camera . Perhaps the magnanimous takeaway is if you see agood bargain on the Pixel 8 , it ’s plausibly worth snapping it up over the Pixel 9 , given its increased cost this year .
