Google launches Pixel 4, a smartphone that lets you shoot the Milky Way

Information about Google Pixel 4 has leaked quite a few times so far, and we were especially curious about its astrophotography capabilities. The phone is now officially out, along with its bigger cousin, Google Pixel 4 XL. Let’s see what they’re capable of and if the latest Pixel phone will make photographers happy.

The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL come with a range of novelties and improvements, but since we’re most interested in its cameras, we’ll stick with them.

What you’ve probably noticed is the change in the camera design. The pixel 4 is the first smartphone from Google to have two rear cameras instead of one. They’re arranged into a square array, along with an LED flash. The main camera is 12MP, with a wide-angle lens and f/1.7, the same as the one on the Pixel 3. The second one is an f/2.4 telephoto camera with a 16MP sensor and a 2x optical zoom. The second camera gives makes Portrait Mode more powerful than in the previous Pixel models, making the background blur more pleasing.

As for the front camera, it packs an 8MP sensor and an f/2.0 aperture with 90 degrees angle of view. With the front camera, you can film 1080p videos at 30fps. And while we’re at the video, the rear camera shoots 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30, 60 and 120 fps, and 720p at 240fps.

With its latest phone, Google promises “studio-like photos, without the studio.” As we mentioned earlier, the phones are focused a lot on shooting in low-light conditions, and Google shows off the new and improved Night Sight mode. It allows you to shoot in low and challenging light without the flash and still get vivid colors and pleasing shots. What’s more, it lets you “capture cosmos” and even take photos of the Milky Way with nothing but your phone. I’m curious to see how it performs, to be honest, but there’s a small preview over here.

Google Pixel 4 starts from $799 and The Pixel 4 XL starts from $899, depending on the storage capacity, the carrier and the extra services you choose. Both phones are available for preorders in black, white and orange, and they start shipping on 24 October. You can preorder yours on Google Store, where you’ll also find more detailed specs.