Google first unveiled its Clips smart camera last year before finally making it available for purchase in January this year. The clip-on smart camera is capable of taking videos and photos automatically, relying on machine learning to decide which photos and videos are worth taking. Google has released the first major update for the camera which enables it to take higher resolution still photos.
Back when the camera was launched, Google said that it had put machine learning capabilities directly into Clips so when it’s turned on, it looks for good moments to capture. It tries to find stable, clear shots of people the user knows. The camera also has a shutter button that can be pressed to manually take photos. The same can also remotely using a companion app for smartphones.
The changelog of the major update that’s rolling out now for the Clips companion app mentions that the camera is now capable of taking higher resolution still photos. When the shutter button is pressed in Live Preview or on the camera, it will capture a high resolution still photo along with the clip. The app also gets pinch-to-zoom functionality so that users can take a closer look at whatever’s captured by the camera.
It’s difficult to put a number on the improvement in resolution, though, since Google doesn’t provide the resolution of still photos that the camera takes on the official product page.