The upcoming Pixel 10 series is stirring interest, particularly due to the introduction of a third camera sensor on the base model, a surprising move given that previous iterations typically featured just two cameras. The new model will include a telephoto lens alongside the primary and ultrawide cameras, although early reports suggest that the telephoto sensor is smaller than ideal. The Pixel 10 will be equipped with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, the Samsung GN8, and a 13-megapixel ultrawide sensor, the Sony IMX712.

The new telephoto lens is an 11-megapixel Samsung 3J1 sensor. While this sensor is larger than what Samsung uses for its Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 3x telephoto lens, it is still considered relatively small for a telephoto camera. This raises concerns about its performance in capturing quality images, although Google’s renowned computational photography capabilities may provide some level of reassurance.

Interestingly, this telephoto lens will also serve as the front-facing camera, which may affect its quality for selfies. Despite these concerns, it is possible that Google could be positioning this change to justify any potential price increase for the Pixel 10. Moving on to the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL, they will feature largely the same sensors as their predecessors.

The ultrawide, telephoto, and selfie cameras will utilize the Sony IMX858 sensor, a 48-megapixel option. The primary camera will continue to utilize the Samsung GNV sensor, which is a 50-megapixel unit. In a slight upgrade, the selfie camera is set to increase from 42 megapixels to 48 megapixels.

Overall, while the camera hardware sees minimal changes, Google has a history of optimizing existing sensors, ensuring that even familiar technology can yield impressive results in its devices.