The first Pixel 10 Pro Res Zoom samples show up online, and they’re pretty bad

The newly launched Google Pixel 10 Pro phones offer a 100x Pro Res Zoom feature. This uses generative AI to improve image quality, but is this just heavy-handed AI or something genuinely useful? Well, the first samples have surfaced online.

Redditor Dry_Astronomer3210 tried out the Pixel 10 Pro XL’s Pro Res Zoom feature at a Best Buy store, posting samples in the process. Check out the 30x and 100x comparisons below.

The 30x Pro Res Zoom comparison reveals a cleaner rendition of Mario, for one. However, Google’s tech seemingly falters when it comes to artwork and fine text, as it tries and fails to add more definition to these elements.

Pro Res Zoom’s apparent limitations are particularly evident in the 100x comparison. The Pixel 10 Pro XL generates artwork that looks like nightmare fuel, featuring sharpened blobs with no discernible faces or other characteristics. This extends to the Mario Kart World logo and text. In fact, the text doesn’t even resemble the English alphabet.

Meanwhile, CNET also posted some AI-enabled zoom shots from the Pixel 10 Pro series. The cityscape comparison, taken at 30x, seems to deliver a more defined, sharper picture that doesn’t veer into horrible AI territory at first glance. This wouldn’t be a surprise, though, as AI-based zoom solutions from other brands also tend to excel with buildings and general cityscapes. Furthermore, Google says its solution is best suited to wildlife, landmarks, and landscapes.

However, the 100x shot of the passenger jet is the worst Pro Res Zoom photo we’ve seen so far. Google’s software created a jet that looked like a young child’s drawing, complete with super-thin wings, a right engine that isn’t attached to the wing, and what looks like a hastily tacked-on cockpit/nose.

The good news is that Google says Pro Res Zoom’s diffusion-based AI model doesn’t apply to people in a picture. So expect more traditional image processing for humans. Either way, it looks like Pro Res Zoom isn’t a silver bullet for long-range zoom quality.