The lens flare becomes particularly visible for many Pixel devices when pointed directly at a bright light source, and Google has acknowledged this issue.
Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones have been widely lauded for being a very good camera smartphone. The top-of-the-line image sensor, coupled with a good lens setup and efficient algorithm, seems to produce great photographs in varying conditions. However, one of the issues that we have spotted on the Pixel phones is lens flare, an infrequent but persistent problem that occurs when you shoot photos with a bright light source in the frame.
Now, Google has acknowledged the issue, after many users on Reddit seemed to raise the complaint. On its product forum, Google has stated that while most Pixel phones may be susceptible to producing unprecedented halo around light sources, it is possible for the company to roll out a software update that somewhat fixes the issue. The flare that typically appears is a low contrast arc around the corners of the photographs, and the update will include an algorithm that will recognise this arc, characterise it in terms of other elements in the frame, and remove it from the frame.
While the forum post states that this mode will only work with HDR+ mode, there is no reason to worry because the HDR+ mode on the Pixel and Pixel XL work much faster than previous generation devices. Google also states that there is no need to get your new Pixel replaced, as the camera sensor, algorithm and lens elements are well tuned to produce the best possible photograph, and there are no major mechanical defects.
Lens flares are pretty commonplace, and can often be used to add an artistic touch to scenes. However, persistent niggles can often disrupt photographs, which is what seems to have affected Google’s two Pixels. However, in our comparisons of the best camera smartphones around, we have not yet spotted a major disruption in terms of the halo produced.
Google has not mentioned by when the update can be expected, though. All we know, is that the fix will reach Pixel users “soon”.
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