Leaks point out a few expected deficiencies with the Pixel 4's cameras and all-round performance
The Google Pixel 4 phones are almost definitely going to be launched sometime next month. As is becoming tradition with Google's offerings, the devices—the Pixel 4 XL in particular—have leaked in full, and it's becoming almost suspicious as to whether Google itself is behind the leaks. While previous leaks have been mostly positive, this one may be a tad less pleasant.
For one, the Pixel 4 phones will feature UFS 2.1 storage. UFS 2.1 has been the flagship standard over the last few years but was finally supplanted by UFS 3.0 this year, with devices like the OnePlus 7 Pro and Samsung Galaxy Note 10 adopting the technology. Of course, there's nothing wrong with UFS 2.1 but it's a tad disappointing that the Google Pixel will once again miss some cutting-edge hardware.
Perhaps even more saddening than the issue of storage is the fact that the Pixel 4 will likely not have 4K60 FPS video recording. Not at launch, at least. All leaks so far have pointed towards the device's video recording ability being capped at 4K30 FPS. The Snapdragon 845 brought that feature to Android devices over a year ago, so we're not sure why Google still refuses to adopt it.
Similarly, the Pixel 4 phones are said to have the same main camera sensors as their predecessors, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL. The sensor in question is the IMX363. It's not a bad sensor per se, but it's lacking when compared to sensors like the 48 MP IMX586 or even Huawei's favorite, the IMX600.
Google's photographic prowess comes from its imaging software, and it would appear that the company is more comfortable working with a sensor it has used on four of its phones so far. The end justifies the means, in any case, and Pixels have delivered incredible camera performance so far. Better is better, however, and Google's insistence on using two-year-old camera hardware can hardly be construed as a positive.
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