Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL place a focus on camera performance, and one of the highlight features of these phones is Top Shot. The feature analyzes images taken before and after you press the shutter to get you the perfect photo, and today Google shed some light on how Top Shot works.
With Top Shot, the camera captures up to 90 images from 1.5 seconds before and after you press the shutter. The images are analyzed for qualitative features like if the subject is smiling, and this analysis is performed in real-time and on-device for privacy and latency. Top Shot then saves the original shutter frame and and processes two high-res alternatives with HDR+ for you to review, though there are other low-res frames for you to review if you'd like.
When it set out to make Top Shot, Google decided to focus on three attributes to understand how to help people pick their best photo: functional qualities like lighting, object attributes like a person with their eyes open and smiling, and subjective qualities like emotional expression. It then designed a computer vision model to recognize these attributes.
Google also explains that it collected data from hundreds of volunteers along with their opinions of which frames out of up to 90 shots looked best. This dataset covered photos like portraits, selfies, actions, and landscapes, and it helped Google to understand just what people consider to be a "top shot".
Many folks rely on their smartphone to capture all of their important memories, but not everyone is a professional photographer that can capture everyone at the precise moment. Plus, sometimes unexpected things happen that can mess up a shot. Google's Top Shot tech aims to help you always get a good photo, even if your subject blinks or your lighting briefly changes when you press the shutter button. And it's features like Top Shot and Night Sight that help to make Google's Pixel phones some of the most appealing Android phones on the market.
To read even more technical details on how Top Shot works, tap the link below.
