Pixel 10 Pro phones can now take 50MP portrait mode shots, with a catch

Google’s Pixel 10 phones have a few notable camera improvements and additions, making them stand out from other flagship Android phones. However, the Pro phones also have a new option in portrait mode.

Google says the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL both offer a 50MP portrait mode option via the main camera. The company claims these are the highest-resolution portraits of any smartphone, but they’re actually catching up to a rival brand in this regard rather than beating them.

The admittedly China-only vivo X200 Ultra already offers 50MP portrait modes via both the main and tele cameras. By contrast, Google only offers high-resolution portraits via the main camera. That’s not the best decision on Google’s part, as the main camera isn’t typically the preferred sensor for portrait shots. These cameras give you a wider shot than you might like, while often featuring a deep depth-of-field (i.e., more of the scene in focus). The latter characteristic means smartphone makers have to lean on software processing to blur the background, potentially leading to depth estimation issues. Meanwhile, many flagship phones today have telephoto cameras with large sensors and relatively wide apertures, enabling a shallow depth-of-field for more natural bokeh effects.

However, Google says the Pixel 10 Pro phones offer an “updated algorithm” for both 50MP and 12MP portrait modes. The algorithm apparently offers improved detail, depth estimation, and segmentation, “especially around hair.” Google also told us during a Tensor G5 briefing that the chip indeed offers “advanced” segmentation. This allows it to identify individual elements in portrait images, such as skin, lips, and eyes. So it seems like the company is addressing some of our concerns.

Nevertheless, the Pixel 10 Pro line’s 50MP portrait mode option could be useful if you’d like to print some snaps. This high resolution could also be handy if you want to crop the image after the fact. But we hope Google brings 48MP portraits to the tele camera for maximum flexibility.