Android 8.1 DP1 didn't enable Pixel Visual Core, Google says wait for DP2

Himanshu, 01 November 2017

As you might already know, the new Pixel 2 smartphones include a little system-on-chip (SoC) - independent of the main SD835 chipset - that's claimed to speed up image processing five times while using a tenth of the power of the main CPU.

The SoC - dubbed Pixel Visual Core - was dormant when the phones started shipping, with Google promising that Android 8.1 will enable it. Well, the Developer Preview 1 update arrived, and sadly, those who tried enabling the SoC are reporting that's still not happening.

Now, it has come to light that the Mountain View, California-based company has officially confirmed it's the Developer Preview 2 - planned for November - that'll bring along the option to enable Pixel Visual Core.

Here's what the company's official Android website says: "If your app uses the camera APIs and you have a Pixel 2 device, you'll be able try an early version of Pixel Visual Core starting in Developer Preview 2, planned for November 2017. Testing on Developer Preview 1 is not yet supported."

Source

Google Android

Reader comments

Anonymous
02 Nov 2017
IV8

LOL at google following Nokia.. Nokia used this technique since the 808 with 1ghz single core 512mb ram can process a 41mp data in 0.5 second while in 1020 with dual core krait took 5 seconds to complete

AnonD-594740
01 Nov 2017
LvJ

No. It will be supposedly used to ENCODE the pictures and video faster, not to improve anything. Dont expect any quality difference (in theory at least, in practice maybe this soc actually worsen it a little).