Google is updating its augmented reality SDK so that phones with dual cameras can get better depth information. Noted by Android Police, The most recent update of Google Play Services for the AR app, which distributes Google Aircore features in this way, now notes in its changelog “Dual Camera Stereo Depth on Supported Devices”.
Right now, it looks like support will be limited to Google’s own Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, both of which were released in 2019. A list of compatible ARcore devices on Google’s developer site says dual camera support will come out next week. .
Notably, this means that the Pixel 5 and 4A 5G, both of which are 2020 pixel phones with dual cameras, will not see the benefits now. This may be because their secondary cameras are ultraviolet instead of telephotos of the Pixel 4 and 4XL, which affects how they can produce more detailed depth maps.
In any case, that’s another result of Google’s instinct on pixel camera lenses. The company has long insisted that it only needs one camera due to computational features like Super Rays Zoom on the Super Pixel 3, then confusedly added a telephoto lens to the Pixel 4 anyway, then backtracked and turned it to ultraviolet on the Pixel 5 .
