People thought that a Google design director was teasing the Pixel 4's camera in an incredible Instagram shot, but the photo was actually taken with a $400 Pixel 3a

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

• People thought an Instagram photo shared by Google design director Claude Zellweger was taken with a Pixel phone with 20x zoom, with some saying it was taken with the unreleased Pixel 4.
• Zellweger later clarified that the photo was cropped and taken with a Pixel 3a, and that it wasn't a 20x zoomed photo after all.
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An Instagram post from Google design director Claude Zellweger spotted by 9to5Google initially suggested that Google's upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone may come with a camera that's capable of zooming up to 20x.

Over the weekend, Zellweger posted a photo to Instagram of some interesting-looking shadows. Responding to a commenter, Zellweger said "20x zoom #pixel," leading many to think that the photo was taken with the yet-to-be-announced Pixel 4, and that the phone's camera will have an incredible 20x zoom option. 

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Unfortunately for those who were excited by the prospect of 20x zoom in the Pixel 4, it turns out that the photo was actually taken with a $400 Pixel 3a with some zooming and cropping.

"Just to be clear: This shot was taken with a Pixel 3a. Zooming + cropping did the trick. I love this phone! #pixel3a," Zellweger clarified on Instagram. 

Read more: Google slashed the price of its premium flagship Pixel 3 smartphones down to $500, but I'd still recommend you buy the $400 mid-range Pixel 3a instead

The photo in Zellweger's Instagram post above is pretty impressive for a $400 smartphone, especially after zooming and cropping. One of the best things about the mid-range Pixel 3a is that it comes with the same camera as the more premium Pixel 3 smartphones, which are often touted as the best smartphone cameras.

The Pixel 4 will have  multiple cameras, according to Google's own photos of the device. At least one of those cameras is rumored to be a zoomed lens, but the zoom's extent isn't clear. If it's not a zoomed lens, then perhaps it'll be an ultra-wide-angle lens, which has recently become a trend in smartphones. The LG G8, Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note 10, and the OnePlus 7 Pro have ultra-wide-angle lenses.

We'll have to wait until October when Google is likely to announce its Pixel 4 phones - or until Google itself drops more details about its upcoming smartphones.