14 DAY TRIAL // A few days ago, Google released the final Developer Preview of its upcoming Android 8.1 mobile operating system, the first point release to the Oreo series, and it added a new option to enable the hidden imaging chip in the Pixel 2 smartphone.
Soon after Google revealed Pixel 2 in early October this year, the Internet discovered that it ships with a chip that's not activated yet. The chip is called Pixel Visual Core and it's Google's first mobile chip designed for image processing and ML. Android 8.0 Oreo, launched on August 21, didn't support it, so it remained hidden in the Pixel 2.
With the soon-to-be-released Android 8.1 Oreo update, Google promises to have implemented a new developer option that activates the imaging chip in the Pixel 2, allowing apps that use the Android Camera API (Application Programming Interface) to capture HDR+ photos. Owners of the Pixel 2 device can now install the Android 8.1 Developer Preview 2 and test drive the hidden imaging chip.
Here's how to enable Pixel 2's image processing chip in Android 8.1
If you've installed the Final Developer Preview of Android 8.1 Oreo on your Pixel 2 smartphone and you want to enable the hidden imaging co-processor, you'll have to first enable the Developer Mode, so go to the Settings menu, select System and then access the About Phone section. Tap several times on the build number until Developer Mode becomes active.
You should now see Developer Options in the System category, so access it. Enable the Developer options if they aren't already activated, and Locate the Debugging subheading section, where the new Camera HAL HDR+ option lies. Tab to turn it on and your Pixel 2 phone will be restarted for the Pixel Visual Core chip to be enabled. You can now take HDR+ photos with the built-in camera app.