New code points to Pixel 4 supporting wide color gamut photos

The Google Pixel 4 will be the first Pixel to support the DCI-P3 color space for photos. (Source: Google)

Code spotted by a developer in Google Camera app shows that Google is working to bring wide color gamut image capture to the Pixel 4. Although Google is considered to hold a lead over the iPhone in still image capture, the iPhone can capture images with a wider color gamut - Google is looking to nullify that edge.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 06/25/2019

Although Google announced that it was working on bringing wide color photos to Android Q, it wasn't clear exactly what its timeline was. New code spotted by an XDA Developers member suggests that Google is going to bring this feature soon and it will be ready to debut on the Pixel 4. Although Google's Pixel is widely considered to have an edge on the iPhone camera for still photos, the Pixel has been limited to the sRGB spectrum while the iPhone can support the DCI-P3 standard.

The new code in the Android Q Camera app shows that Google is extending the photographic capture capabilities into the DCI-P3 color space. This is particularly important for photographers, especially pros who prefer to work in P3; however, everyone benefits from photos that look more vibrant and closer to real life. With the Pixel 4 set to bring dual-rear cameras to the camera equation for the first time in its product line when Apple is moving to a triple camera arrangement, it will need every trick up its sleeve.

However, to properly enjoy DCI-P3 photos, you need a display that can support DCI-P3 reproduction. This is something that Apple has also supported for a while and was first introduced on the Pixel 3. It will be interesting to see if Google enables the functionality on the older model as its Sony image sensor is certainly capable of capturing images in wide color. Either way, you can bet that Google will be keen to highlight this newly developed functionality when the Pixel 4 is launched.