For those interested in the ongoing smartphone wars, which at this point is iPhone vs Android, or Android vs iPhone depending on your point of view, a former major Googler Androids no longer.
Gundotra issued a Facebook post with a couple of great photos of his children, and a very interesting caption.
In the post, he wrote: “The end of the DSLR for most people has already arrived. I left my professional camera at home and took these shots at dinner with my iPhone 7 using computational photography (portrait mode as Apple calls it).
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Gundotra confirms in follow-up posts under the photos that he is using an iPhone 7 Plus.
However, even more amazing comments are to follow – please read on below.
Although a commenter by the name of Ravi Belwal suggests that the Samsung S8 “does a better job compared to i7”, Gundotra has none of that, stating instead: “I would never use an Android phone for photos!”
After a couple more comments by others talking up their Android devices, Gundotra explains: “Here is the problem: It's Android. Android is an open source (mostly) operating system that has to be neutral to all parties.
“This sounds good until you get into the details. Ever wonder why a Samsung phone has a confused and bewildering array of photo options? Should I use the Samsung Camera? Or the Android Camera? Samsung gallery or Google Photos?
“It's because when Samsung innovates with the underlying hardware (like a better camera) they have to convince Google to allow that innovation to be surfaced to other applications via the appropriate API. That can take years.
“Also the greatest innovation isn't even happening at the hardware level – it's happening at the computational photography level. (Google was crushing this five years ago – they had had 'auto awesome' that used AI techniques to automatically remove wrinkles, whiten teeth, add vignetting, etc... but recently Google has fallen back).
“Apple doesn't have all these constraints. They innovate in the underlying hardware, and just simply update the software with their latest innovations (like portrait mode) and ship it.
“Bottom line: If you truly care about great photography, you own an iPhone. If you don't mind being a few years behind, buy an Android,” continues Gundotra.
Famed former Microsoft blogger Robert Scoble agrees, stating: “Totally agreed. And in September everyone will understand just how true a statement that is”, presumably referring to the iPhone 8/Pro and presumably also the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus should they have the same camera as the iPhone 8/Pro.
A reader called Hillel Fuld says: “wow, amazing to hear this said from you, Vic Gundotra. By the way, this was an iPhone 7 Plus, correct?”
Gundotra replies in the affirmative, and states: “Yes it's stunning. By the way, I ran all of Google's mobile efforts from 2007-2010. I was SVP of engineering. So I understand this topic reasonably well. I would never buy an Android phone again if I cared about photography.”
There are more comments, but now you know what a former and major Google executive thinks about the product he formerly represented, and the choices he makes now.
Make of it what you will, but now you know what a true professional really thinks, as opposed to reporters who don't use Apple products, yet hate them!
