Google’s Go-To Android Image Quality Expert Pursues New Role With Imatest

Imatest, a leading global provider of camera image quality analysis software, test equipment and charts, and lab services, announced the appointment of Jonathan Phillips as their Vice President of Imaging Science. Under Phillips’ technical leadership, the company will be expanding its software features, equipment portfolio, and consulting services across imaging market segments. As the previous leader of image quality in Google’s Android organization, Phillips focused on the launch and establishment of Google’s Pixel phone line, particularly its camera and display image quality and features.

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“His deep understanding of imaging science and first-hand customer knowledge of Imatest at Google will immediately enhance the Imatest product roadmap. Moreover, Jonathan’s wide range of contacts in the camera industry will help increase Imatest’s reach.”

“Jonathan brings an invaluable set of skills and experiences to Imatest,” said Norman Koren, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Imatest. “His deep understanding of imaging science and first-hand customer knowledge of Imatest at Google will immediately enhance the Imatest product roadmap. Moreover, Jonathan’s wide range of contacts in the camera industry will help increase Imatest’s reach.”

“I was looking for an executive role to expand my breadth and impact in the imaging field,” said Phillips. “Imatest is ideally positioned to facilitate that goal. The company helped provide Google with efficient and detailed image quality analyses of our Pixel phone cameras while I was at Google. Imatest provides these same expert offerings across multiple imaging market segments around the globe. So, I am excited to be able to support technological advances across the imaging industry. In addition, Imatest is heavily influential in the development of international photography standards—something I have helped shape since 2007. I am looking forward to continuing and expanding my standards leadership at Imatest.”

From his beginnings at Kodak to his role at Google, Phillips’ experience spans over three decades. Graduating from Wheaton College (IL) with a degree in chemistry, Jonathan started his career at Kodak as an environmental chemist prior to transitioning to a focus on film. He was a key player in the photography transition from analog to digital, switching from processing in the darkroom to working on digital imaging devices and printers. Kodak sponsored his Master’s and PhD work in color science at Rochester Institute of Technology.

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After his long venture with Kodak, Phillips managed the camera image quality lab at NVIDIA. Working along the same vein in image processing and development, Phillips focused on optimizing the Tegra chip for smartphone cameras. In 2015, he moved to Google where his leadership brought the Pixel phone camera and display image quality to top-tier levels. During this time, Phillips’ assignment included co-writing his book, Camera Image Quality Benchmarking, which is essentially the bible of imaging and testing, widely recognized and used throughout the industry.

Beyond his technical expertise, Phillips is a classical violist, having studied with faculty from the Eastman School of Music, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, and Wheaton College Conservatory of Music.