Google Pixel 6 XL is Expected to have a 5x Submersible Telephoto Lens

Earlier today, Google rolled out the third beta version of Android 12 to Pixel phones. The latest beta adds a number of new features, such as scrolling screenshots, smarter automatic rotation of the screen and more.

In addition to the new features, there are also updated system apps, including a new WallPaperPicker and a new Google camera app. The latter has been updated to 8.3.252, a significant improvement over the previous 8.2.400 release. On the surface, the new Google camera update appears to bring only support for Android 12’s dynamic theme system. However, in the APK, foreign media XDA Developers found evidence that the Pixel 6 XL (or “Pro”) may have a 5x zoom submersible telephoto lens.

APK disassembly can often predict what functionality is likely to be available in future updates of an application. XDA Premium Member cstark27 found a new line in the layout file of the zoom user interface of the Google camera application with the ID “ZOOM_TOGGLE_ULTRATELE” and the text “5X”. Indicates that a new 5x zoom option is displayed in the viewfinder.

Digging deeper into Google camera applications, foreign media found the words “Ultratele”, and CSTARK27 found that the “true” optical zoom level of the telephoto camera may be 4.3 times. For reference, the Pixel 4’s “true” optical zoom level is 1.6x, although the Google camera app shows 2x.

Last week, whistleblower Jon Prosser revealed the specs for the Pixel 6 line, and the leaked information suggests that the smaller Pixel 6 will have a dual rear camera with a 50-megapixel wide Angle and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide Angle, The larger Pixel 6 XL/Pro will have three rear cameras, made up of 50 megapixel wide Angle plus 48 megapixel telephato and 12 megapixel ultra-wide Angle. It was previously rumored that Google would use a submersible telephoto lens for one of its Pixel 6 series devices, and leaked CAD renderings seem to confirm the possibility. Google’s still image of the Google Camera app’s user interface taken in a video shared at I/O 2021 also indicates that the app will get the 5x zoom option, but today’s app update is the first hard evidence pointing to the new 5x “Ultra Tele” zoom option.

Igeekphone understands that Google will launch the Pixel 6 series later this fall.