Pixel 10 Pro 100x Zoom Relies on Generative AI

Google promises 100x software zoom on Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL, but Pro Res Zoom blends AI with on‑device processing, raising questions about real detail.

Pixel 10 Pro 100x Zoom Relies on Generative AI

At Made by Google 2025, Google unveiled Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL with Pro Res Zoom, a feature that can reach 100x digital zoom by combining AI with on‑device processing. Hardware zoom remains limited to a 5x range, so the extra reach comes from software rather than a longer lens.

Google positions Pro Res Zoom alongside the older Super Res Zoom, explaining that Pro Res Zoom uses a local diffusion model to fill in missing detail beyond the optical limit. Users can still shoot non‑AI images by choosing the old algorithm, and the base Pixel 10 supports up to 20x zoom with Super Res Zoom; Pro Res Zoom is the default option on the Pro models, though the non‑AI path remains available.

The move signals a broader push to blur the line between photography and computer vision. If many distant objects are now created or enhanced by AI, viewers may struggle to assess what was actually captured. That creates new questions for transparency, sharing norms, and even consumer expectations at launch events and in marketing. On one hand, AI‑augmented zoom could help travelers and reporters get usable detail from far away; on the other, it risks misrepresenting a scene as more real than it is.

Highlights

Technology keeps expanding what a photo can be, even as it tests our sense of what a photo should be.