Google Pixel 7 Pro may have a worse telephoto camera than the Pixel 6 Pro amid other strange camera changes

Roland Quandt has shone a light on a Pixel 7 Pro camera detail that appears to have been glossed over so far. While there have been numerous Pixel 7 series specification leaks to date, most recently with the pair's official spec sheet, none have gone into quite the depth as Quandt has. Specifically, the leaker has provided more camera details, presumably courtesy of an official store listing of some kind.

According to the leaker, the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have 50 MP primary cameras with f/1.85 apertures, 82° field of views (FoV), 1/1.3-inch optical formats, OIS and autofocus. In other words, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series have identical primary cameras. Likewise, Google has harmonised the front-facing cameras this time around, with the 11 MP sensor from the Pixel 6 Pro making its way into the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.

However, Quandt asserts that the Pixel 7 Pro has a narrower FoV than the Pixel 7 at 93° and 97°, respectively. Also, although both models have 12 MP ultra-wide-angle cameras, neither match the FoV of the Pixel 6 series. Instead, the 114° of last year's ultra-wide-angle cameras has made way for a 106° FoV in the Pixel 7 and a 125° FoV in the Pixel 7 Pro.

Stranger still is the Pixel 7 Pro's telephoto camera, which Google has boosted to 4.8x optical zoom from 4x in the Pixel 6 Pro. Likely to be rounded to 5x optical zoom in marketing materials, it would appear that this is a distinct advantage for the Pixel 7 Pro compared to its predecessor. Unfortunately, Quandt's information suggests that Google has achieved this by adopting a smaller sensor, with the 1/2-inch sensor in the Pixel 6 Pro making way for a 1/2.55-inch one in the Pixel 7 Pro.

In short, Google has changed the crop factor between generations, a detailed explanation of which websites like Photography Life have already provided. Ultimately, it seems that Google has equipped the Pixel 7 Pro with a less flexible telephoto camera than its predecessor. Sadly, it seems unlikely that Google will explain the change during this week's Pixel 7 series presentation, let alone acknowledge it.

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