Pixel 10 Pro’s Pro Res Zoom Put to the Test: Impressive or Illusion?

Google’s new Pixel 10 Pro arrives with a headline feature that promises to revolutionize smartphone zoom: Pro Res Zoom.

On paper, it’s a massive leap from the older Super Res Zoom tech first introduced with the Pixel 3, boasting up to 100x magnification powered by the Tensor G5 chip and a generative imaging model designed to restore fine details.

Google claims this breakthrough allows the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL to capture breathtaking shots of wildlife, landscapes, and distant landmarks without the typical digital zoom artifacts. Early promotional material showcased stunning detail at extreme magnifications, seemingly pushing the Pixel line into DSLR-rivaling territory.

But reality appears less polished. A Reddit user tested the camera at a Best Buy display unit and shared results that cast serious doubt on Google’s claims. Zooming in on a shelf of Mario Kart games, the so-called Pro Res Zoom produced an image that looked nothing like the close-up reference photo. While AI did attempt to clean up the noise, much of the output seemed to invent fake details, even fabricating text that never existed in the original shot.

This inconsistency has left early testers puzzled. If the feature isn’t designed for store shelves, why did it fail so dramatically rather than at least providing a clearer approximation? The reliance on AI hallucinations, rather than genuine detail recovery, makes the promise of “astonishing detail at 100x” sound shaky. For casual buyers who rarely zoom in on packaging, it may not be a dealbreaker – but it does raise questions about whether Pro Res Zoom can be trusted when capturing real-world moments.

Defenders point out that Google positioned the feature for scenarios like photographing the moon, wildlife, or distant cityscapes – situations where the tech may indeed shine. Yet, skepticism remains high. Some observers note that Google only shared one official sample, which now feels suspiciously curated.

Ultimately, while the Pixel 10 Pro delivers plenty of cutting-edge hardware and even comes with attractive preorder bonuses like a $200 gift card, the star feature of Pro Res Zoom might still need time in the wild to prove it’s more than marketing hype. Until then, professional photographers and long-time enthusiasts remind us of a simple truth: tiny phone sensors can only go so far before physics – and reality – push back.