Android 13 right out of the box brings one of the biggest advantages to the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, also the fact of receiving the updates just on day one. In addition, Google enriches the experience on its phones with its own launcher, the widget at a glance, the excellent camera and a whole set of tools in which Artificial Intelligence has a notable influence. Google Photos has released a very particular.
“Sharpen”, a tool included with Google Photos
With the launch of the Google Pixel 7, not only taking photos has been improved, but also their subsequent editing. Apart from the tools already released by the Pixel 6, with the excellent Magic Eraser in the lead, the set of options is expanded with “Sharpen”, a tool that does just what it promises. It can be used with any image from Google Photos, but portraits are where it shows its true potential.
The zoom applying the AI that the Pixel 7 released not only brings objects closer by digitally enlarging the scene, it also outlines and focuses the image to offer a natural shot that is largely removed from digital processing. In this sense, the Super Res Zoom reduces watercolors, sharpens and highlights contours; steps that the Google Photos “Sharpen” tool also performs.
With “Sharpen” the app applies automatic focus on the image to reduce the blurring of contours trying to sacrifice as little detail as possible. The AI takes about two or three seconds to perform the analysis of the photo and its subsequent correction; to then present a manual adjustment that allows customize focus level. The entire process is intuitive and allows you to see the result on the screen of the Pixel 7.
Of course, the tool doesn’t always manage to fix the image, but it does work very well with out-of-focus faces found in photos without excessive shake. If the focus was not well taken at the time of the capture “Focus” will increase it; which usually improves the snapshot. And the correction does not over-sharpen the contours or overdo the contrast: the result is usually natural. Whenever possible, everything will largely depend on the lighting of the scene.
It can’t fix a shaky photo, but it can improve it
“Focus” does not work miracles, that must be made clear. We have used it on a multitude of images and the results were homogeneous: the focus ends up being more precise, blurred lines are reduced and noise is also diluted. Like is logic, always within acceptable limits, Google AI can’t turn a watercolor painting into a photo. It also does not remove all traces of retouching (or it does not do it in a general way).
We think it’s an excellent complement to the already great set of tools that Google Photos offers, especially for Pixel owners and Google One subscribers. Want to apply bokeh to a portrait? With “Blur” you have it at your fingertips. Achieve the opposite, that the image gain sharpness? Don’t mess with Photoshop’s unsharp masks :un tap on your Google Pixel 7 and voila. Is magic.