5 Camera Functions Of Google Pixel 3 That Will Make You Covet The New Phone

The Google Pixel 3 drops this 1 November 2018, and there’s no other phone out there that has ever caused my heart to waver.

I say this with mixed emotions (predominately, guilt), as I’ve been an avid Apple user since the beginning of time.

We were invited to the #MadeByGoogle launch and I wasn’t a hundo p sold then. But after having the opportunity to try out the phone for about a month now, I’m about to falter — and here’s why.

Disclaimer: I’m no techie, so if you’re expecting a full review of the specs of the Google Pixel 3, it’s not too late to ‘x’ this page.

What I do know is, we’re a generation that relies heavily on our trusty camera phone for fuss-free photos — we’re ever ready for a selfie, IG story or a quick shot of the golden hour, and yet every picture has to be perfect.

And Google Pixel 3 has five upgraded camera functions that are going to make you covet the new phone. Just so you know, we’ve had plenty of ‘wooaahhs’ when trying it out in the office.

On first look, the Pixel 3 is sleek and requires some getting used to holding. I love how the screen resolution is crystal clear and vivid, almost like carrying a pocket HDTV.

To pull up the camera, all you have to do is do a quick double tap on the power button. Though it’s only a couple of seconds faster than sliding up the screen, it’s essential when you don’t want to miss a shot.

Double twist your wrist to switch it to the front-facing camera and rear-facing camera again; how intuitive is that?

1. (Better) Portrait Mode

And while we’re on the subject of getting the perfect quick shot, I’m always fumbling to get the right distance for iPhone’s Portrait mode, am I the only one who keeps getting the “move further away” prompting?

One shot was all it took for us to get the bokeh (blurred out) effect pictured above, no matter the distance. Remember how the Pixel 2 blurred out all the stray hairs too, making the picture look fake? Not with the Pixel 3; it’s refined and precise now.

What’s even better is the editing tool lets you adjust the depth of field deeper or shallower to your liking.

I’ve taken it out for a spin to some events and food tasting sessions, and you wouldn’t even know the photos weren’t taken with a DSLR camera…Shhh.

2. Group Selfie

This is where the magic happens. Group selfies were only made possible with obnoxious selfie sticks, which I refuse to carry around since its invention.

The person with the longest hand in the group would then be assigned to take the photo with his/her outstretched hand trying to get everyone to fit in the frame.

With the Google Pixel 3’s Group Selfie function, the handy zoom slider turns the camera into a wide angle lens.

And presto! All 11 of us from the team were able to fit in comfortably into the frame with just the slider, without anyone needing to get out from their seats or reorganising and getting into each other space.

You could even get the most of the background in the photo too, especially when you’re taking a selfie at a scenic location.

3. Super Res Zoom

If there’s one thing to boast on the Pixel 3, it’s the Super Res Zoom that produces sharper images when zooming in on a subject.

Pictured above isn’t the Pixel 3’s maximum zoom yet. The building in the distance hasn’t lost its details and isn’t noisy, save for StorHub’s logo which is a little blurry.

4. HDR+ For Low Light Place

The HDR+ is in-built in Pixel 3’s camera, essentially merging eight frames to produce “amazing photos in any light”, but it can get a little tricky getting the best out of it.

On most occasions, the images came out great. But the one above was underexposed, even losing its saturation. Granted, it was backlit.

5. Top Shot

Top Shot is almost similar to Apple’s Burst mode, what makes it different is that it is programmed to pick out the photo with the subject’s eyes opened and smiling, so you get an amazing photo even in motion.

We test its limits by taking photos of our colleagues doing vigorous movements, such as jumping jacks and twirling, which did not do as well as when the subject was just walking.

— —

Google Pixel 3 has superseded my expectations, I never thought that there will be another phone out there in the market besides iPhone that would win my heart.

The camera functions are just a scratch on the surface, and it is already proving the phone to be nothing short of brilliant.

Date: Set for release this 1 November 2018 

Prices: Pixel 3 starts at S$1,249; Pixel 3 XL starts at S$1,399 (Available at Singtel, StarHub and Google Store)

Google Pixel 3: Google Store