Last week’s notable tech news featured Google unveiling a new smartphone equipped with an advanced camera that incorporates generative AI for improved zoom functionality. The Pixel 10 Pro boasts a zoom feature that enhances digital images up to a staggering 100x, revamping what might otherwise be subpar captures. Initial impressions suggest the quality is impressive, although discerning the true detail of distant subjects presents a challenge. To validate these capabilities, I enlisted a high-performing competitor for a direct comparison: the Nikon Coolpix P1100.
The Nikon P1100 is a substantial ultrazoom camera, offering an extensive optical range equivalent to 24-3000mm. This level of optical precision allows the P1100 to produce images without the need for digital enhancement, unlike the AI-enhanced zoom capabilities found in the Pixel 10 Pro. While the P1100 applies some adjustments like noise reduction and sharpening, it does not rely on guessing the details of each pixel, as it possesses original data to reference.
Digital zoom, such as that utilized by the Pixel 10 Pro, presents different challenges. Scaling an image up significantly without optical support introduces numerous gaps that must be filled. Algorithms can effectively make educated guesses to enhance image quality, yet these remain just that—speculative. The Pixel 10 Pro employs its AI-driven Pro Res Zoom to supplement these guesses. With this in mind, it makes sense to test this feature on a compelling subject: the moon.
Capturing the moon with a smartphone presents a tough challenge, and Google’s latest feature demonstrates that the Pixel’s zoom can create interesting results. The outcome appears to resemble the moon, though the AI-generated image introduces a somewhat distorted texture that diverges from a natural appearance, especially when compared to the more traditional photograph captured by the P1100.
The images taken of Lumen Field’s exterior, photographed from a viewpoint near Pike Place Market about a mile away, were influenced by the overcast weather. These captures demonstrate both strengths and limitations of the Pixel’s AI zoom feature. While the model enhances legibility of signs and sharpens edges effectively, it tends to compromise details like the metal cladding, akin to excessive noise reduction. Moreover, it struggles with text recognition, often failing to render it accurately.
These pictures of the Starbucks corporate headquarters, taken from the same vantage point as the previous shots, reflect both the advantages and drawbacks of the AI feature. While the image processed with AI appears adequate on a small display, a closer inspection reveals inaccuracies, such as lamps being inaccurately transformed into windows, and some features displaying distorted shapes reminiscent of surrealist art.
