The Pixel 4 series may rival the Galaxy Note 10s for camera features

XDA correspondents and 9to5Google sources claim to have torn down the latest update to the Google Camera app (v7, whereas the commonly-available new version is 6.3) and found a host of new features that may pertain to the upcoming Pixel 4 hardware specifically. The most prominent changes detected include Motion Mode, which may be an analog for the Motion Blur edit of which the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 line is capable.

Similarly, the code may refer to Audio Zoom, a method of isolating a subject by sound in video also found in the Notes 10 and in the new iPhone 11 series. The code also suggests that Google's Night Sight will be enhanced with Zero Shutter Lag in the Pixels 4. In fact, these phones may have such effective low-light modes that they will be capable of capturing images with clear and defined stars. The code analysis hints this could be done by employing the GPU to create such images.

The Pixels 4 may also support Live HDR, in which HDR is controlled for using an advanced algorithm in real-time. Mesh Warping is another new term, which may apply to the correction of a front-facing wide-angle lens. There is also a new Dynamic Depth Format for relevant image information, as well as Measure Mode and Rewind Mode, although it's not completely clear what they will enable the new Pixels to do. Finally, "Playground" may be a new or augmented form of Photobooth with AR stickers.

One of the more interesting facet of Google Camera code is that many new features have code-names: for example, Motion Mode is linked to the name "paneer". There is also "McFly" (Rewind Mode) and "cuttlefish" (Night Sight). The XDA teardown has also resulted in the code name "rocky"; unfortunately, its corresponding function has not been elicited. It may be reasonable to hypothesize that it has something to do with stabilization; however, it has been seen in relation to other properties such as cropping and viewfinding.

On the subject of code-names, a new alias, found in a class called "Device Properties", may refer to a heretofore-unheard of new Google-branded device. This name, "needlefish", is found alongside other known devices such as "taimen" (the Pixel 2 XL) and "sargo" (the 3a XL), as well as "coral" and "flame", which had been linked to the new Pixels in the past. Therefore, it is just possible that there is a third Pixel 4 variant - or, perhaps, this code-name is that of the rumored Pixel Watch.