Google’s upcoming Pixel 8 series may have a new feature that lets phones improve the visual quality of videos, similar to Fixing photo blur on the Pixel 7 Pro.
It’s called Video Unblur and it was first discovered by the team at 9to5Google (opens in a new tab) who dug into the APK (Android Package Kit) file of the latest version of Google Photos. They were able to force-enable the UI for Video Unblur on the app. However, the team couldn’t make it work. According to the report, the tool currently has no “noticeable effect on videos” as it is likely still in development. But once launched, 9to5Google says the tool should work like Photo Unblur using machine learning to beautify videos shot on a Pixel 8 Phone – probably.
The report adds that there is nothing in the APK code that directly ties video blurring to Pixel phones. But if history repeats itself, the software could follow the same trajectory as Photo Unblur by remaining exclusive to Google phones. And speaking of app history, 9to5Google points out that this update follows the same pattern as the HDR effect on Google Photos, as this features supported images first before switching to video.
Apart from Video Unblur, the team also uncovered a series of filters that users can apply to videos to add some creativity. These filters will have their place in the new Google Photos Overlays tab that will appear whenever you start editing. Currently, there are 14 visual effects including the VHS filter, which is probably based on the old video format, and the B&W which is most likely a simple black and white effect.
Still in work
As interesting as this all sounds, don’t get too attached to their idea. As 9to5Google notes, there’s no guarantee that video blur or filters will release in their current state or at all. All we know for sure is that Google is working on something with the possibility that the end product will be completely different.
The big question is what the hardware powering Video Unblur will look like, assuming the feature is exclusive to the Pixel 8. There have been reports of Google’s next flagship phone coming with a Tensor G3 chipset should be more powerful and efficient than Tensor G2 on the Google Pixel 7.
The launch date for the Pixel 8 lineup is currently unknown. Although if history repeats itself (and it probably will), we expect the release to be around October 2023.