Google Pixel 2 camera samples looks phenomenal—See for yourself

Google’s recently-unveiled Pixel 2 doesn’t need a dual-camera setup to capture beautiful bokeh. At least, that’s what I can ascertain from these photo samples shared by Google this week. The results are mighty impressive—but it’s worth taking them with a grain of salt.

When the Pixel 2 was introduced, Google predictably made a big deal about the 12.3-megapixel camera, which was given a 98 rating by DxOMark. That puts the device’s camera ahead of the iPhone 8 Plus and Galaxy Note 8, both of which were awarded a 94.

The sample picture show of a great range of scenarios, from bright daylight to action to low light. What’s most impressive is the Pixel 2’s portrait mode, which finds a great balance between artificial and realistic.

While we anticipated the Pixel 2 to produce excellent images, DxOMark said the device’s video quality stood out.

“Exposure is good in almost all lighting conditions, with quick transitions between lighting levels,” DxOMark wrote in its assessment of the Pixel 2’s camera. “Autofocus is very fast, smooth, and stable—including subject tracking. The Pixel 2 does an excellent job at balancing detail preservation and noise reduction—among the best we’ve seen.”

As impressive as the pictures are, it’s tough to judge samples provided by Google, even if the company says the images are unedited. We’ll assess the quality of the Pixel 2’s pictures once the device hits the market next week.