[Update: Google’s statement] Pixel 2 owners reporting blurry panoramas compared to the Pixel 2 XL

Update: 7/12: A fix has been found by a user, but it requires root. Instructions here.

Update 7/13: Google has finally released a statement on the issue (below).

The camera is arguably the best feature of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Google has consistently received praise for their excellent camera software. In many head-to-head comparisons, the Pixel camera comes out on top. However, not everything is perfect. A bug has been affecting the Pixel 2 camera (not the XL model) since November and Google has yet to fix it.

The problem can be found in panorama photos taken with the Pixel 2. The photos appear to be in focus while taking the panorama, but the resulting photo is out of focus. Many users have been reporting the problem in the Google Product forums and Issue Tracker for the last five months.

User bengrulz was the first to report the problem after doing some research with the Pixel 2, 2 XL, and original Pixel. He shared several comparison photos from the regular camera and a single-shot panorama. The panorama photos look slightly out of focus and have far less detail when you look closer. Here you can see the results from the Pixel 2.

Here are the same photos taken on the XL model.

You can see a drastic difference between the two Pixel models. The panoramas taken with the original Pixel were also fine. I was able to replicate the issue on my device running the Android P developer preview (seen below).

In December, a Google community manager said they would reach out privately to collect bug reports. Later they said the engineering team was aware of the issue and they would share more information when it became available. Users have continued to share reports, but Google has mostly been silent. Finally, last week the @MadebyGoogle Twitter account tweeted that they are aware of the issue and still working on it. The issue is still present in the latest April update.

We’re surprised Google is taking so long to address an issue for such an important feature of their phone. The Pixel camera is supposed to be the best in the industry. Panorama photos are a great way to show that off. Let us know if you can replicate this feature on your Pixel device. Add your feedback to the links below to hopefully get Google’s attention on this issue.

Thanks cstark27!

Update: Google’s Statement

A representative from Google released this short and sweet statement (via Android Police):

We are aware of the issue and expect to release an improvement for panoramas and photo spheres taken on Pixel 2 devices later this year.

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Source: Google Product Forum Source: Google Issue tracker

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