Google: A Fix for the Pixel & Pixel XL Camera Flare is Coming

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At the launch event for the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, Google advertised that its camera would be the best camera currently available on any smartphone. They backed up their claim by citing a stellar early review score from DxOMark, but some people were still skeptical. As early hands-on reviews started going live from various Android and technology publications, it became obvious that Google was definitely onto something with the camera optimizations they had touted.

The camera on the Pixel phones is easily one of the best we’ve ever seen on a smartphone and many feel that it has finally knocked the iPhone off its throne. However, as time went on and as more people started using their phones on a daily basis, one issue repeatedly surfaced. Some users began to notice a lens flare/halo effect in some of their photos. This issue was even discussed here in our forums, and many others across the Internet who are using it have also noticed similar artifacts in their photos.

This issue was raised in Google’s official product forums within the newly launched Pixel User Community Forums and a Google employee confirmed they are aware of the issue. At first, Isaac begins talking about how the flare is a property of all camera lenses, but then moves on to mention that the shape, color, amount, etc. of the flare is attributed to a large number of different parameters when it comes to the lens structure and inclement light.

However, the Googler states that the issue will be fixed due to the fact that many users find the halo effect undesirable. Isaac says they are working on some algorithms that will be able to recognize the halo/arc flare and will then subtract it from the image entirely. We’re told that a software update to resolve the issue is coming “in the next few weeks,” but that users will need to use HDR+ to see the benefits of the update.

In the meantime, he also states that users should not send the phone in for an RMA and that all Pixel phones will have the same flare characteristics.