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. 

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.