Google Pixel Visual Core support postponed until Android 8.1 Dev Preview 2
It was recently revealed that Google had snuck an octa-core chip into the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, specifically to help with photography processing. Named the Pixel Visual Core, this is Google’s first SoC but it’s disabled by default, leading some to speculate that its implementation simply wasn’t quite finished at the Pixel 2’s release.
Google said Pixel 2 owners would have the option to enable this once the Android 8.1 Developer Preview arrives; however, that landed last week without Pixel Visual Core support.
This was pointed out by Ars Technica‘s Ron Amadeo on Twitter, who subsequently directed his followers to the newly updated Android 8.1 Release Notes page. There, Google confirmed that the Pixel Visual Core now won’t be enabled until the Developer Preview 2 (apparently).
Thankfully, you won’t have long to wait for this, as Google also says that it should land in November. Still, it’s a disappointment for those who wanted to check out an early version of it right now, and we don’t know exactly why there has been a delay (presumably, it’s still in an unfinished state).
The Pixel Visual Core chip is said to be able to improve the effects of HDR+, as well as make it more power efficient, while it has implications for machine learning that may be taken advantage of in future also. Hopefully, we’ll see it when the next Preview drops later this month.
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