DealNTech Mobiles, PCs, and All Things Tech
The Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro were the company’s first smartphones with the in-house Tensor chipset. The phones were released in August of 2021 and were a direct successor to the Pixel 5.
Regarding the specs, they came with the Tensor G1 chipset for the processor, which, as mentioned before, is Google’s first chipset. For the software, both phones launched with Android 12 out of the box. The brand has promised them 3 years of OS and 5 years of security updates. This means the phones will go up to Android 15 with an additional 2 years of regular security updates.
However, performance isn’t something the Pixel phones are known for. The phones are generally known for their excellent AI capabilities, software experience, and specifically cameras. Computational photography is a big selling point for Pixel phones. Many users buy them for the fantastic point-and-shoot capabilities.
Recent Pixel updates sparking complaints of camera quality decline
However, after the recent updates, opinions among the users of the Pixel 6 series have been divided. Some claim the camera quality has improved after the latest updates. On the other hand, some users claim they have seen a significant drop in image quality.
Nonetheless, the users who have noticed an inferior change are unhappy. The users claim a drop in vibrancy and clarity, specifically in low-light and selfie scenarios. The trouble ranges from bad post-processing by the software to blurry images.
On the official Google Pixel subreddit, one user commented, “I used to get clear, vivid pictures with the Pixel 6. But I’ve seen a decline in the quality of my photos. Usually, they’re blurry, especially in selfies, or dark in landscape pictures. Do the updates deliberately decrease the camera’s performance?”
To make matters worse, some Pixel 6 users have also reported issues with the video recording. They claim they’re now facing autofocus issues in the 60 fps mode and that the issue’s only fix is switching to 30 fps. This seems to be an isolated bug in a specific updated version of the pixel camera app. As one user claims, using an alternative gcam apk fixes the focus issues in 60 fps mode.
However, another set of Pixel 6 series users has a clashing experience with the recent updates. This set of users claims their phone’s camera quality has increased with updates. One user mentioned, “I’ve had the Pixel 6 since launch and think that any change has been for the better. Just got back from a two-week holiday trip and was consistently impressed by the Pixel 6’s camera in a variety of contexts.”
The negatively affected users were suggested to clear the camera app’s cache and see if the issue persists. In addition, Google’s troubleshooting guide was also recommended for the users.
With all this being said, it’s not easy to conclude the reason for mixed opinions of camera quality after updates. We hope Google comes out with an official statement soon addressing the situation.
