Google’s Pixel line of products has long been known to offer some of the best smartphone cameras on the market. Like its predecessors, the Pixel 5 promises excellent image quality. However, is it good enough to warrant an upgrade?
In this Google Pixel 5 vs Pixel 4 test shootout, we will run a series of sample image comparisons and provide our analysis. You can choose the winner yourself using the poll at the end of the article.
We expect the results to be pretty similar since both phones come with nearly identical camera hardware. The only major difference is that Google swapped the telephoto zoom lens for the Pixel 5 for an ultra wide angle lens. The company instead relies on its Super Res Zoom software to zoom in on the Pixel 5. For More About the Phone, check out our Pixel 5 Super Res Zoom Deep Dive to see how well software can compete with a real telephoto lens.
More Pixel 5 camera reviews:
Google Pixel 5 vs Pixel 4: Camera Specifications
As mentioned above, the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4 camera specs are almost identical. The main difference is that the secondary lens has been switched from a zoom to a super wide angle lens. Otherwise, you get the same 12.2MP main sensor. We can thank much of Google’s camera skill for its software improvements and computer photography.
Another improvement is the slightly superior video recording. As you can see in the datasheet below, the Google Pixel 5 can record 4K video at 60 frames per second. In the meantime, the Pixel 4 is limited to 4K at 30 fps.
| Google Pixel 5 | Google Pixel 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Reversing cameras | Main: 12.2 MP, f / 1.7, 1.4 µm pixels, OIS, EIS. Ultra wide: 16 MP, f / 2.2, 1 micron pixels, 107 degrees FoV. | Main: 12.2 MP dual pixel, f / 1.7, 1.4 μm, field of view 77 degrees, OIS + EIS, PDAF. Tele: 16 MP, aperture 2.4, 1.0 μm, field of view 52 degrees, OIS + EIS, PDAF. |
| Video behind | Up to 4K @ 60fps. | Up to 4K @ 30fps |
| Front cameras | 8MP sensor, f / 2.0, 1.12 µm pixels, fixed focus, 83 degree FoV. | 8.1 MP, 1: 2.0, 1.22 µ m, 90 degree field of view. |
| Front video | Up to 1080p @ 30fps. | Up to 1080p @ 30fps. |
The examples
Disclaimer: The Pixel 4 samples were taken with a Google Pixel 4 XL. However, the Pixel 4 XL and Pixel 4 have identical cameras and got the same results in previous tests. If there were Pixel 5 XL we would have tested that too, but unfortunately it doesn’t exist!
It’s time to get down to business: which phone takes the best photos? The camera battle between the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4 should be fierce. Let’s start with a few daily samples.
Continue reading: Photography terms explained
When taking photos of the day outdoors, smartphone cameras shine the most. There is enough lighting to keep the ISO and shutter speed low. This means that blurring and noise are reduced to a minimum. However, there are a few factors that you should keep in mind. Daytime photos tend to produce harsher shadows. This is a good time to see how a camera handles dynamic range. How blown out are the highlights? Are there enough details in the shadows?
The images captured by both phones look amazingly similar. Exposure, color, and sharpness are excellent. The only difference we see is the level of detail in the shadows, especially in the darker areas of the trees. This could suggest that the Google Pixel 5 has slightly better dynamic range. On the other hand, the Pixel 4 seems to show more detail once you really zoom in. The Pixel 5 algorithm seems to have a harder time removing noise, which could sacrifice data.
Something went wrong with the Google Pixel 5 in this picture. The newest device got the white balance set a little wrong and leans more towards the blue side of the spectrum. This is particularly noticeable in the clouds.
For some reason, the Google Pixel 4 seems to have a better picture overall. The exposure is more even, there is more data in the shadows, and we can see more detail in the leaves. On the other hand, the background with the road and cars looks louder in the Pixel 4 example.
Let’s make things a little harder for ourselves in the Google Pixel 5 vs Pixel 4 camera review by moving around indoors. There’s still a lot of light here, but it seems the Pixel 5 is a bit ahead. It has a warmer tone and slightly more vibrant colors. Not to mention the picture is a little brighter. The Pixel 5 also managed to capture a bit more detail, which you can mostly notice in wood, dirt, and window particles.
Differences become clearer when we turn to areas with higher contrast lighting conditions. These image samples are similar in terms of exposure, but the Google Pixel 5 did a better job overall. The newer handset managed to capture a lot more detail in the stones, not to mention the Pixel 4 photo showing a blue haze throughout the image. The image of the older handset also shows more grain.
The Pixel 5 seems to get better the darker the scene gets. In this image comparison we can see that Pixel 4 has a slightly colder white balance. The Pixel 5 now has a very nice saturation and contrast. Differences in detail are most evident when looking at the wall, the coffee bag text and the box below. The Pixel 4 seems to show more detail when you really look at the textures. Here, too, the Pixel 5 could do without details in its efforts to remove noise.
Something went wrong here, or it could just be the angle in relation to the lights, but the Pixel 5 clearly lost that lap. Glare is rarely flattering, and there’s plenty of it to this picture. It’s also louder and has fewer details. The Pixel 4 didn’t work amazingly, but it’s a much more acceptable photo.
These are very similar results, but I see a slightly warmer tone. There is also more detail in the hair and skin of the Pixel 5’s photo, but colors and exposure are very similar.
What happened to the Pixel 4 image here anyway ?!
One of the biggest differences between the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4 is lens choices. As can be seen in the specifications, these devices have vastly different lens options. The Google Pixel 4 came with a standard and a telephoto lens. The Pixel 5 ditched the telephoto camera for a super wide-angle camera, but Google claims the Super Res Zoom software’s improvements are good enough to fool every eye. Let’s find out!
We thought we’d show you a super wide angle sample from Pixel 5 so you can see what it can do. Of course, we don’t have anything to compare as the Pixel 4 didn’t have a super wide-angle camera.
- Pixel 5 standard
- Pixel 5 zoom
- Pixel 4 standard
- Pixel 4 zoom
No buzzkill, but the Pixel 5 seems to have produced a better zoom image without optical zoom, which is excellent. The details in the background buildings are much better in the Pixel 5 photos. You can also see a noticeable difference between the trees at the bottom of the frame. Exposure, color reproduction, and contrast are all pretty similar, but the Pixel 5 image definitely shows more detail.
However, this only seems to be the case with night photos. We went a little further and took some sample zoom photos during the day, where the Pixel 4 recorded details better and kept the image sharper.
Google Pixel 5 vs. Google Pixel 4 Camera Shootout: The Verdict
While specs and software optimizations in the competition between the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4 seem nearly identical on paper, there seem to be some distinct differences. We thought the lack of an optical zoom camera would have an impact on close-ups, but our tests show better results with the Pixel 5.
Connected: Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4 General Comparison: Should You Upgrade?
We can’t say the Pixel 5 is worth the upgrade if you already have a Pixel 4, but the newer iteration seems like the better camera phone. However, the Pixel 4 still has an amazing camera and is now much cheaper than the Pixel 5. While the Pixel 5 seems to have a better camera, the Pixel 4 beats the newer phone in a few other departments.
We’ll dive deeper into the Pixel 5 and older Pixel phones shortly. What camera results do you prefer for the time being in the battle between the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4?