Pixel 11 Pro's 120x Super Zoom Hallucinates Photo Details, Capped at 30x Without 1.14GB AI Download
Updated
Updated · PCMag · Aug 18
Pixel 11 Pro's 120x Super Zoom Hallucinates Photo Details, Capped at 30x Without 1.14GB AI Download
2 articles · Updated · PCMag · Aug 18
Summary
Tests of the Pixel 11 Pro XL’s 120x Super Zoom produced different details in repeated shots of the same subject, suggesting the feature is inventing visual elements rather than only sharpening captured data.
Google labels Pro Zoom as generative AI that “may be inaccurate,” and the feature appears after a processing step that fills gaps in extreme zoom images with AI-generated guesses.
Only the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL support 120x Super Zoom, and users must separately download a 1.14GB Pro Zoom package; otherwise zoom is limited to 30x.
The behavior revives concerns seen in Samsung’s earlier “moon gate” dispute, underscoring a broader debate over when computational photography stops restoring images and starts altering photographic truth.