Google phones are getting telephoto macro capabilities, which may teach the entire industry a lesson.

In the entire Android phone camp, Google's Pixel series of models has always had a relatively unique significance and status.

From a software perspective, since its inception, the Pixel series has always been the first to receive every major Android version update. At the same time, it also has a large number of Google AI features that are "exclusive for a limited time." This means that it is not only the currently recognized Android software development platform but also a "window" for Google to showcase its software-related technologies.

From a hardware function perspective, the Pixel series of models has never been known for "performance" or "benchmark scores." However, the unique custom Tensor processor has indeed made it a representative of "computational photography" and on-device AI in the Android camp. Especially in the recent generations of the flagship Pro models, although they do not use a particularly large sensor or a particularly long telephoto imaging configuration, they can still occupy a place in the annual rankings of imaging flagships. Therefore, their imaging functions cannot but attract the attention of other manufacturers and even serve as their "reference object."

Against this background, when we recently saw some revelations about the imaging functions of the next-generation Pixel series of models, we at San Yi Life immediately realized that it is very likely to have some subtle impacts on the entire industry again.

So what has Google done? The matter is actually not complicated. According to the latest revelations, the upcoming Pixel 10 series of new models may add the "telephoto macro" function.

I believe some friends may say when seeing this, "That's it. Don't other manufacturers already have telephoto macro? What's there to boast about with Google?"

Indeed, in the previous generations of the Pixel series of models, Google has always used the ultra-wide-angle lens to achieve the macro function. If we only consider the application time of "telephoto macro," then they have indeed objectively fallen behind some manufacturers. However, the reason for telling you about the "telephoto macro" on the Pixel 10 series of new models is that it has a very obvious difference from other common brands in the specific implementation method.

This difference lies in the fact that Google is not replacing the ultra-wide-angle macro they previously used with "telephoto macro." Instead, on the premise of retaining the ultra-wide-angle macro, they are additionally adding the macro function to the telephoto lens of the Pixel 10 series of models. In other words, they are very likely to create the industry's first batch of models with "dual macro lenses."

So what is the significance of doing this? Simply put, the advantage of telephoto macro is that it allows users to use the "zooming" effect of the telephoto lens to shoot relatively small objects from a greater distance. In this way, first, it can avoid disturbing the subject, which is convenient for framing when shooting objects such as insects. Second, it can solve the problem of the camera (phone) itself blocking the ambient light due to its shape.

However, "telephoto macro" is not without its shortcomings. Because its design scenario is for focusing and shooting "at a certain distance," the effective focusing distance of telephoto macro is actually often not "micro" enough. That is to say, if the subject is too small, or if the user has to hold the phone very close to the subject due to environmental limitations, then the telephoto macro may have problems with focusing.

Moreover, because the focusing distance of telephoto macro is often not short, it is difficult for the phone itself to actively determine whether the user is currently shooting a macro or a telephoto photo. Therefore, "telephoto macro" usually does not have an automatic switching mechanism based on the distance between the subject and the phone like ultra-wide-angle macro. Instead, users need to manually click the corresponding switch in the camera app to "switch," which not only complicates the operation but also is not conducive to capturing moments.

According to current revelations, Google's "dual macro" design on the Pixel 10 series takes into account the advantages of the long shooting distance of telephoto macro and the short focusing distance of ultra-wide-angle macro on the one hand. On the other hand, they may have achieved automatic recognition of macro shooting scenarios through AI. That is to say, the phone can automatically activate the "ultra-wide-angle macro" or "telephoto macro" based on the current composition, shooting content, and the distance of the subject, without the need for users to manually switch. In this way, this "dual macro system" may indeed surpass the designs of all other manufacturers in the current industry in terms of both user experience and technological advancement.

Moreover, in the mobile phone industry before, since other manufacturers often had to choose between "ultra-wide-angle macro" and "telephoto macro," it gave consumers the illusion that there was a "mutually exclusive" relationship between these two technological routes, and using one meant not being able to use the other. Even some models equipped with "telephoto macro" could even cut off the autofocus function of the ultra-wide-angle camera to save costs.

In this way, when Google is the first to equip both the ultra-wide-angle and telephoto cameras with macro modes, it not only provides a reference template for other manufacturers but also serves to "enlighten" consumers. Therefore, it naturally helps to further raise consumers' expectations for the imaging configurations of other brands' "imaging flagships," thereby promoting further "healthy competition" in the imaging configurations of the entire industry, and ultimately, it is the consumers who benefit.

This article is from the WeChat public account "San Yi Life" (ID: IT-3eLife), written by San Yi Jun, and is published by 36Kr with authorization.