Most people don’t know the Pixel 10 Pro can shoot 12-bit — here’s how to unlock it

The Pixel 10 is having a pretty good run so far, with people praising the hardware and software experience. As you can imagine, it’s one of the best Pixel phones to date, delivering everything you could want from a top-tier smartphone. Naturally, if you want to go all out, the Pro series is where it’s at, and it appears that these phones also pack some hidden gems that weren’t advertised to the public.

One of these gems was originally revealed on Reddit, with the post shedding light on how the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL could actually be set to record 12-bit photos and videos (via Android Authority).

A new way to shoot

What’s interesting is that it’s able to perform this feat by utilizing Samsung’s Smart-ISO Pro technology, otherwise known as Dual Conversion Gain, which allows the Samsung sensor inside the Google phones to obtain that extra depth by pushing the sensor to its limits. If Dual Conversion Gain sounds familiar, it’s because Samsung has been utilizing the tech for quite some time.

The best part about this is that there aren’t any drawbacks, with users getting the best images and videos from the sensor, and it can all now be accessed on a Pixel 10 Pro just by switching to a third-party app. So what does this mean when applied to the real world? It means better clarity and more details, especially when it comes to video captured with more motion.

You can see the differences between 10-bit and 12-bit from the Reddit post with samples. The interesting part is that this is really just the beginning and things could end up becoming more interesting from here. Hopefully, we will see this in the default camera app in the near future, but if not, you can always try a third-party camera app to gain access to these settings for now.

If you’re someone that loves taking videos and photos, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL are going to be the way to go. And while the stock experience is already pretty good, dabbling with some third-party apps to enable 12-bit recording could be a game-changer.