Google’s Pixel cameras aren’t the best anymore, here’s the proof

I love Pixels, and the Pixel 6 Pro marked my conversion to the Google ecosystem thanks to its incredibly powerful triple rear camera. Computational photography has proven its value over the years and remains a key part of Google’s sales plan. Pixel 10 series.

However, for a product line lauded for its imaging capabilities, I find it increasingly difficult to place the Pixel near the top of the pack. Yes, they are still incredibly reliable in basic point and shoot, and at the same time, A good eye can achieve breathtaking results What a pretty modest hardware on paper. I don’t deny that Google’s formula is good, but is it great by today’s standards? I’m not as sure as I used to be.

I’ve increasingly shelved the latest Pixel in favor of physically larger smartphone camera packages or the reliable mirrorless. After spending a lot of time looking at pixels, I became aware of Google’s processing artifacts and came to the conclusion that I really don’t like blowing up these images. While I can overlook grainy shadows, spotty low-light details, and over-sharp portraits for a quick social share, it’s not really what I want when I’m potentially spending $1,000 or more on a phone to take pictures in the first place.

For comparison, I have Xiaomi 17 Ultra recently in hand. After taking it out for a spin next to me Pixel 10 Pro XLI may never go back to a Pixel until Google seriously overhauls their hardware.

Not that the two phones are comparable for general purpose shooting. Both offer excellent dynamic range, rich and realistic colors, and plenty of detail from the main and zoom cameras. If anything, the Pixel is arguably the more consistent option, with Xiaomi’s color science falling into oversaturation and underexposure.

Still, look a little closer at the images and the Pixel’s coating quickly peels off. Xiaomi’s latest telephoto camera gives the phone a significant edge in terms of image quality and flexibility, especially if you like me to frame and crop your photos.

Take this example, which combines extreme low-light with mid-range zoom: a real test for dedicated cameras on the market, let alone small-sensor phone zoom cameras. Both look good in full frame, but in terms of detail preservation, the Pixel is completely inadequate here, even with the help of Night mode. There is significant noise and smeared or missing detail. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra offers a level of detail that my Fuji mirrorless likely can’t match, thanks to multi-frame processing and perhaps the use of a little artificial intelligence (there’s definitely something a little artificial about the look). Either way, noise and detail have always been a problem for Google, and the divide is growing.

Likewise, portraits have been a long-running Pixel problem of mine for similar reasons. For all Google’s singing and dancing about Pure Tone, speckles and textures continue to look very sharp at full frame, but somehow turn to mud on closer inspection. It might not matter as much on a phone screen, but it could come back to bite the Pixel if you ever want to print out your photos for a photo album or frame.

The less said about the Pixel’s bokeh blur, the better, compared to the natural effect of Xiaomi’s new 75mm lens. The software doesn’t look as accurate or beautiful as the real thing. In comparison, I rate the Xiaomi’s portrait detail and bokeh as the best in the business, rivaling the quality I expect from my Fuji mirrorless.

Back to AI and augmentation, Google’s latest approach has been to rely on expanding AI diffusion. Pro Res Zoom detailing up to 30x and more. On the other hand, Xiaomi adopted a larger 200MP sensor paired with a 75mm-100mm variable focal length lens to cater to both short and long distances. The same sensor that captures the large portrait above is also great at long distances.

In my experience, Xiaomi has a clear advantage at 3x due to its natural optics. It’s a fairly level playing field playing around 5x and 10x, but beyond that I’d give the Chinese phones a slight edge. Google’s AI boost works well on some textures, but struggles with others. Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s long-term efforts are clearly not flawless, but the larger sensor ensures that its results are comparable to Google’s daylight artificial intelligence efforts.

We can extend this zoom-camera comparison to macro. Xiaomi’s new lenses can focus quite close, resulting in natural depth and bokeh without getting too close to the subject. Google’s 5x telephoto camera can’t focus this close, so it resorts to digital upscaling, or an ultra-wide camera that introduces perspective distortion and a lack of real depth. The Xiaomi ultra-wide camera can also do macros, but it can’t replace a long focal length to improve macro shots.

And that’s really the Pixel problem in a nutshell. Google built its early reputation on computational photography, doing more with less and being very successful in closing the gap early and often leading the pack. In recent years, this trend has continued mainly due to new hardware improvements that allow not only better image quality, but also more versatile shooting options.

Again, not to disparage Google’s computational photography efforts. Exposure, tone mapping, and night photography remain the Pixel’s strongest suits, and Google has augmented those basics with fun and useful tools like Add Me and Magic Editor. But for all of Google’s strengths, its image pipeline lags behind the competition in raw image quality.

If you want the most vivid-looking images and next-level creative flexibility possible from a smartphone, the Pixel isn’t the place to be.

It doesn’t mean Pixel 10 or not Galaxy S26 it’s not a good phone for recording family events or documenting your travels. They are still versatile enough to meet most needs. However, if you’re a really serious photographer who uses the latest features and demands the pinnacle of mobile image quality, I think you’ll get more out of phones like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The only problem for US customers is accessing these alternatives.

Of course, there’s more to making a great phone. While cutting-edge hardware enthusiasts are increasingly focused on China’s Ultra models, there’s still something to be said for the broader ecosystem of a Pixel or Galaxy experience. But as a photographer-first phone user, I’m increasingly wondering if this is enough to bring me back.