New Google Pixel 4 promo video leak confirms nifty astrophotography mode

Google Pixel 4
(Image credit: Google)

The Google Pixel 3 range is amongst the best camera phones money can buy but the latest leak could confirm previous rumors that the next generation Pixel smartphones will outshine the 2018 Google flagships on the camera front.

Spanish website AndroidPro has discovered what appears to be an official marketing video for the Google Pixel 4 that shows off a feature no other smartphone has been able to do before: capture the stars.

According to the video, Google has improved on the camera system's low-light performance that could add an astrophotography mode to the Pixel 4.

The Pixel's Night Sight mode already takes images with shutter speeds of anywhere between two to six seconds. However, capturing the Milky Way typically means keeping the shutter open for anywhere between 10 to 20 seconds – if Google has managed to improve the Night Sight algorithm to remove any motion blur for shutter speeds of half that time, it would be a major feat, allowing users to capture the night sky without the need for a tripod.

Other than the potential for nighttime photography, the video doesn't add anything new to what we already know about the Pixel 4. It confirms the arrival of Soli aerial gesture navigation called Motion Sense that could help users skip songs or open different apps – although this feature won't be available globally.

It also shows off the next generation super-fast Google Assistant we were introduced to at Google I/O 2019. According to the tech giant, Assistant is now ten times faster than before, able to execute commands in (almost) real time. 

The video seems to confirm this – when asked to bring up photos from Tokyo but narrow down the set by showing only images of food, then send to a friend via Messages, the entire process is seemingly accomplished by just one sequence of simple voice commands.

We're expecting the Pixel 4 range to arrive in October, so there really isn't long to go before we can try out the "phone made the Google way".

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.