The Pixel 6 cameras are so good that Google might use them in the Pixel 7

What you need to know

• The Google Pixel 7 is expected to launch later this year with a similar design.
• The device is rumored to feature similar camera hardware to the Pixel 6.
• Google is known to reuse camera hardware thoughout generations of phones.

We're still waiting for Google to launch the Pixel 6a, but rumors of the Pixel 7 are slowly ramping up. A new claim points to the upcoming flagship launching with the same camera hardware as the current Pixel 6 series.

The rumor comes from leaker Yogesh Brar, who suggests that the Pixel 7 will have the same optics and that any upgrades will be made primarily through software.

Of course, take this with a grain of salt, as the Pixel 7 series is likely still several months away. However, it does seem likely that Google wouldn't mess with the camera hardware much or at all.

Until the Pixel 6 series, Google's Pixel lineup has featured the same primary 12MP camera sensor for several generations, with very little differentiation from the first generation. Even the rumored Pixel Notepad foldable is said to rock the same 12MP sensor found in the Pixel 3. This is likely a move to keep hardware costs down while continuing to improve camera output with software improvements.

It seems likely that Google would want to get the most out of its new camera array, given the upcoming flagship is rumored to sport a second-gen Tensor chipset. Earlier this year, job postings were spotted for work in camera ISP design for Google's Tensor SoC team. A second-gen Tensor chip could enable an entirely new set of camera features that the current Pixel 6 sensors should be more than capable of taking advantage of.

This suggests Google isn't exactly resting on its laurels when it comes to camera performance, which already outpaces many of the best Android phones thanks to the AI capabilities and the Samsung GN1 sensor. In our new Reader's Choice series, a Pixel 6 Pro owner gushes over its camera, saying it's one of the reasons why he's glad he chose the device.

So far, based on renders and what little information has surfaced, the Pixel 7 series will likely be a refinement of what we got with the Pixel 6 series, hopefully with fewer bugs.