camera Stories March 1, 2018
The cameras on our mobile devices just keep getting better and better, to the point where for most people, dedicated cameras have nearly become obsolete. With the debut of its new Galaxy S9, Samsung is hyping up the camera over all else. Is it really going to live up to the hype? If early tests prove true, it will indeed, as a recent test has just given Samsung the crown over Google’s Pixel 2…
camera Stories December 1, 2016
One of the best features of the Google Pixel, by a long shot, is the fantastic rear camera. The 12.3MP sensor is capable of taking some breathtaking pictures and some incredible video, however, it’s not perfect. We’ve already seen that the Pixel has some lens flare issues under certain lighting conditions, but now, some users are reporting some strange issues with the camera app.
camera Stories July 4, 2016
Update: Shortly after publishing this article Huawei provided us with this statement:
It has recently been highlighted that an image posted to our social channels was not shot on the Huawei P9. The photo, which was professionally taken while filming a Huawei P9 advert, was shared to inspire our community. We recognise though that we should have been clearer with the captions for this image. It was never our intention to mislead. We apologise for this and we have removed the image.
The cameras on our smartphones just continue to get better and better with improved sensors, powerful software, and impressive low light capability. But there are certain things they just can’t do.
With its P9, Huawei implemented an advanced dual-camera system to improve quality of the shots you take, and while they can be certainly impressive, as noted in our full review, Huawei’s marketing department might think just a bit too highly of this camera…
camera Stories June 6, 2016
Here are the first photo samples shot on the upcoming OnePlus 3
OnePlus is set to announce the OnePlus 3 next week, and ahead of the launch we already know a lot about the device. As for its key specs, the phone will reportedly have a 5.5-inch 1080p display, Snapdragon 820, and up to 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM. And as for the camera situation, the OnePlus 3 will pack a 16MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera.
It’s looking pretty good, and now the company’s CEO has shared the first shots from the upcoming device (Weibo via Phandroid).
camera Stories June 4, 2016
The new HTC 10 is definitely one of the better releases in the company’s history. However at $699 and up retail price, not everyone can clear the space in their budget to get the sharp-bezeled unibody wonderphone. To that end, HTC is currently giving a few users the chance to win a free unit and the rules are simple. Snap a selfie (it probably won’t hurt if you use one of HTC’s previous models like the A10 below), send it over, you’re entered to win a free HTC 10…
camera Stories June 3, 2016
Sony’s new Xperia X apparently suffers from overheating issues while video recording
Sony’s camera sensors are some of the best available today, but several of their devices have suffered when recording video. In a recent video, YouTube user Damir Franc showed in real-time (via Xperia Blog) how quickly the Xperia X would shut down the camera due to heat even when shooting nothing more than 1080p.
camera Stories June 2, 2016
Motorola’s phones haven’t always had the best camera sensors, but on top of that their default camera app has long been just downright horrible. With the company’s new 2016 devices, including the already announced and released Moto G4 family, they’ve finally given us a brand new camera app and it’s just hit Google Play…
camera Stories May 11, 2016
We all know that the Galaxy S7 is a capable smartphone. A pretty awesome one, in fact; so much so that we have even suggested that it may represent the very end of the “Smartphone 1.0” era.
It nails almost everything one would want their most used pocket-computer to have: a stunning design, a gorgeous display, fantastic battery life, surprisingly solid software, a few other features here and there, and most of: all a jaw-dropping camera…
camera Stories April 19, 2016
Future Samsung smartphones may have huge 24MP 1/1.7 camera sensors
With the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, Samsung created one of the best Android smartphone cameras we’ve used. At least, if you ignore the likes of the Panasonic CM-1 which is more a camera powered by Android than a smartphone. Low-light performance is great, and images come out sharp and full of color. But, if a recent rumor is anything to go by, its future smartphones will make the S7 look like a cheapy disposable camera by comparison.
camera Stories April 18, 2016
Making its first appearance in Android N Developer Preview 2 last week, a new version of Google Camera is now rolling out to Nexus devices. The update features some slight interface tweaks and lets users take pictures while recording video.
camera Stories April 12, 2016
The HTC 10 sits atop DxOMark’s camera ranking alongside the Galaxy S7 edge
HTC may have been given props over the past few years for things such as design, display and audio quality as well as the generally smooth performances of its high-end devices, but the company has often struggled trying to deliver a compelling camera experience.
While our very own review of the just announced 10 is in the making, the camera experts over at DxOMark have already put the 12MP shooter through its paces, and the results seem nothing short of excellent…
camera Stories February 22, 2016
As part of its Mobile World Congress announcements this week, Acer today announced the Acer Liquid Jade 2, the latest in the company’s lineup of flagship Liquid Jade branded smartphones.
camera Stories February 21, 2016
Samsung’s Gear 360 video camera leaked a few weeks ago, and today it’s official. Until now the idea of owning a camera that can capture video and images in a VR-compatible 360-degree format may have been a foreign concept to most, but Samsung is really taking a stab at bringing VR content to the mainstream with this offering….
camera Stories January 20, 2016
Earlier this year, we checked out the Panasonic CM1. In short, it’s either an Android powered compact camera that can make phone calls, or a basic Android smartphone with an incredible camera. Either way, we were impressed by its image capture capabilities. Although it’s clearly a niche product, Panasonic has decided to follow it up with the CM10; a device that’s identical to the CM1 in all ways but one…
camera Stories December 18, 2015
This is one of the best deals yet on our favorite all-in-one home security system and air quality detector.
Just in time for the holidays, get $20 off Canary. That brings the price down to $179 from the regular $199. Better yet, you can save a total of $50 off regular price when purchasing the Canary Two-Pack.
This Wi-Fi, smartphone connected security system does a whole lot more than the webcam style security cameras gaining popularity recently, and it does it all with gorgeous industrial design and slick companion apps for Android and other mobile devices… expand full story
camera Stories October 28, 2015
Moto DROID Turbo 2 has surprisingly good camera according to DxOMark
Yesterday, during the announcement, Motorola claimed its new DROID Turbo 2 has a fantastic camera. While we’re skeptical to take the manufacturer’s own word for it, DxOMark seemingly agrees. Having put the Turbo 2’s snapper through its paces, DxO awarded it with 84 points, putting it in joint third position with the Nexus 6P. In short: Motorola finally made a good camera.
Breaking it down, the Turbo 2’s still photos were similar to those on the LG G4, Xperia Z3+ and Galaxy Note 4, but its videos were surpassed only by the Xperia Z5. DxO notes that its images in good light are fantastic. Its autofocusing is exemplary, as is its exposure, contrast and color control. In lower light conditions, its performance drops a little (as you’d expect) and, while white balance is generally good, it does apparently have the tendency to make whites look a little pink at times.
It’s a similar story with video too. It’s great all-round when shooting in good light. It tracks objects and focuses well. But in lower light, it struggles with autofocus and noise a little. On the plus side, it’s good at adapting when light levels and scenes suddenly change.
All in all, it seems we may finally have Motorola phones on the market which don’t force you to compromise on the camera to gain the rest of its selling points. It may not be the best camera on the market, but it’s nothing like as bad as previous generations.
camera Stories October 27, 2015
You can now buy the waterproof HTC RE camera for just $50 shipped (Reg. $200)
HTC’s RE camera hasn’t exactly been the blowout hit, and at least a few times over the last several months we’ve seen it as low as $100 brand-new. Now, you can buy the HTC RE from the company’s website for just $50 shipped, which is $150 less than its regular $200 retail price and the lowest price we’ve seen.
The HTC RE, importantly, has a waterproof build — which makes it the obvious choice for water sports and outdoors filming. The camera also sports a 146° wide angle lens, and a 16-megapixel, 1/2.3″ Sony CMOS sensor. It has just one button, made for when you’re out with friends and just want to quickly capture a moment.
HTC’s website is currently offering the device in four colors: silver, orange, blue, and green. The device is compatible with both iPhone and Android platforms, and also brings the RE Live Stream feature, which lets you stream up to 30-minutes of footage directly from the device to YouTube. It’s nearing impulse buy at this price.
camera Stories October 14, 2015
Today we’re getting into the ultimate camera battle between Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 and Apple’s iPhone 6s Plus. These are without a doubt packing the best camera sensors in mobile right now, but which one will take the throne as 2015’s best smartphone camera? We’ll be taking a look at pictures and video from both devices to find out…
Update: Never mind. Qualcomm says that this is no longer a thing. It looks like the software on the phones being demoed at the India launch event are running old software.
Both the Nexus 5X and 6P are getting some special camera features thanks to improved hardware, and now we’ve learned about one more. Thanks to the device’s launch in India (and one hands-on video in particular), we’re getting another look at the device’s Settings app, and within there’s something interesting: Nexus 6P (and the Nexus 5X) will support “Double twist for camera”… expand full story
camera Stories October 2, 2015
Intelligent Active image stabilization on the Xperia Z5 is insanely good [Video]
Intelligent Active mode has been a feature of Sony’s Xperia line for years now, but it looks like the Japanese company is just continually making improvements. Surely benefitting from the rest of the Xperia Z5’s camera enhancements, the below videos demonstrate just how good Sony’s SteadyShot with Intelligent Active mode is…
camera Stories September 29, 2015
Google made the cameras on both of its new Nexus devices this year a main selling point. Both the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X feature 12.3 megapixel sensors with dual LED flash and an f/2.0 lens. The front facing cameras are also both 8 megapixels with HDR+ support. To go along with today’s new hardware, Google has announced changes to its Camera app, as well.
camera Stories September 25, 2015
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Amazon Prime $67, 64 GB Nexus 6 $370, Lytro 16GB Digital Camera $80, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
camera Stories September 1, 2015
GoPro app for Android gets smart editing feature to create & share clips
The official GoPro app for Android gets an update today which brings a new smart editing feature to let users create and share clips instantly from within the app. Previously users resorted to third-party apps for similar functionality with GoPro camera hardware.
The new feature will let users instantly create edited versions of their videos that come in at 5, 15, or 30 seconds. You’ll be able to drag the timeline to select what 5, 15, or 30 second portion of your video you want to isolate. Once you’ve selected your clip, you’ll be able to instantly share to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other social sharing options available in the app.
The updated app, version 2.9, also receives an “improved camera software update process” and a number of bug fixes and other improvements.
You can grab the updated app for Android on Google Play.
camera Stories August 21, 2015
One of the latest and greatest features with Samsung’s Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ is the ability to instantly live stream from the Camera app via YouTube. It’s pretty neat, but unfortunately I ran into an issue when attempting this for the first time. I’d get the “error message” shown in the above image after the quick sign-in process and nothing else would happen.
I’ve been poking around within the Google Plus and YouTube settings and I’ve come across a working solution for this problem. For those who are new to this thread in the future, here’s a rundown of the issue…
camera Stories August 13, 2015
Google has today completed its roll-out of Google Play services version 7.8, the package of app tools and APIs that Google manages and which make it stand out from those who use the open source version of Android to create their own mobile platforms. With version 7.8 comes some new technology that will make it easier for developers to recognize when you’re smiling into your Android device’s camera.
camera Stories August 12, 2015
9to5Toys Lunch Break: Galaxy S6 Edge (unlocked) $580, HTC RE waterproof camera $100, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
camera Stories August 5, 2015
Often when referring to your smartphone, it is said that “the best camera is the one you have with you”. In other words, the camera on your smartphone, in your pocket, is better than the DSLR you’ve got sat on a shelf at home. Despite the rise of quality lenses and sensors, using a smartphone still isn’t quite as good a ‘proper’ camera. There have always been compromises. At least, there have been until now.
Panasonic’s CM1 may be thicker than your average phone, but it’s easily pocketable, not too uncomfortable to hold and has an epic 20MP camera with 1-inch sensor, a 6-element Leica lens, manual controls and a maximum aperture of f/2.8. What does that mean for image quality?
camera Stories July 30, 2015
Sony Xperia teases a camera-related announcement for August 3rd
Sony has taken to Twitter to tease some kind of camera announcement for August 3rd. Specifically, the company says that it will introduce “a new way to capture split-second photos.” And that’s basically all we know.
It’s possible that this will mean the announcement of some kind of new handset, packed with hardware capable of taking photos like the one you see above. Most recently, the company brought the Xperia Z4v to the United States.
It’s also very much possible that the company is simply going to announce some kind of new software feature. This would admittedly be a lot less exciting, but it makes sense considering the toying the company has been doing with software as of late.
camera Stories June 10, 2015
Evidence of new ‘Smart Burst’ feature appears in latest Google Camera update
In a teardown of the official Camera app’s most recent update, evidence has surfaced that Google is likely working on introducing a new “Smart Burst” mode. Taking “burst” photos isn’t a new concept, usually leaving the user with dozens of slightly-different images to sift through (and manually pick the ones that are worth keeping). As its name suggests, “Smart Burst” is probably a smarter version of burst photography, picking the best photos for you based on a variety of metrics.
Of the metrics that Google will reportedly be using to grade photos are the number of faces in the photo, streaking, facial expressions, whether eyes are open, and more.
While bringing a burst mode to the Camera app isn’t exactly groundbreaking (especially as this feature has been done by countless Android OEMs, Apple, and others), it’s nice to see Google bringing more features to its feature-light Camera app. And rather than just copying what others have done, it looks like Google is really trying to improve on an already-existing feature.
But maybe the app’s straightforward and low-bloat interface—with limited features—is one of the reasons the Camera app is so popular. Either way, this feature is almost certainly on the way, and it would make sense that Google would maybe tie it in with better camera hardware in a future Nexus (now wouldn’t that be great?).
For now, you can get version 2.5 of the Camera app, which is where all of this information was pulled from, via the Play Store.
camera Stories June 8, 2015
Nest sent out press invitations last week to an event on June 17th, and we speculated that it might mean that the company is ready to announce its first Dropcam successor since being acquired by Google in June of 2014. Now, thanks to an FCC filing that we’ve uncovered (published to the FCC website on May 28th), it seems more likely that the company is getting ready to announce the next generation of its security camera… expand full story
camera Stories May 18, 2015
Samsung sends the Galaxy S6 to the top of a skyscraper, catches 360-degree footage along the way (Video)
Samsung kicked off its Next is Now campaign earlier this month, featuring some ridiculous stunts capturing the “powerful moment” of “now.” The Korean company is now continuing the Galaxy S6 marketing push today with a new set of videos, featuring photographer Daniel Lau—known as one of the crazy skyscraper selfie-takers—on a rooftop with Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone…
YouTube’s 360-degree video feature started rolling out earlier this year, and it looks like Samsung is now one of the first major corporations to take advantage of it for marketing purposes. Sadly, though, Lau’s 360-degree footage wasn’t actually captured with the Galaxy S6—it’s simply meant to allow “online users to climb alongside him virtually.”
Here’s Samsung’s clip showcasing some actual footage captured using the Galaxy S6 camera:
And here’s the 360-degree video:
camera Stories May 6, 2015
HTC RE camera w/ free accessory bundle $150 shipped (Reg. $260)
Mother’s Day is May 10th and HTC wants you to give your mother something cool and memorable this year, and what’s more quirky than HTC’s Re camera?
Through May 10th, HTC is offering the Re for $149 shipped, which is $50 off the regular price, and is even throwing in an accessory bundle which would normally run you $60 separately. The bundle includes a bar mount, a clip mount, and a protection pack, each of which make the Re a little more versatile when you’re out on the go getting those sweet action shots.
camera Stories April 30, 2015
HTC has today pushed an update to its Camera app, packing a plethora of great new features for owners of HTC’s current flagship and past flagships alike. Most notably is the addition of Raw Camera mode, which lets users take photos and save them in their original, unchanged —hence the name “raw”—state… expand full story
camera Stories April 29, 2015
LG shares “G4 By The Numbers” infographic highlighting camera performance
After officially unveiling the device yesterday after months of speculation, LG has today shared an infographic in which it breaks down all of the specifications of its G4 flagship. The image, seen below in its entirety, highlights the camera features of device, which LG went on about for an extended period of time during the unveil.
camera Stories April 8, 2015
LG has slowly been revealing features of its upcoming G4 flagship ahead of its April 28th launch, and tonight the company has revealed the camera technology that the device will offer. In a press release, LG Innotek revealed that the G4 will offer a 16MP camera with an f/1.8 aperture, which is “the widest aperture camera developed” by the company. LG teased the camera earlier this week.
camera Stories April 7, 2015
Whether you’re shooting video or taking photos, there’s no denying that camera quality is one of the main factors at play when choosing your next smartphone. This year Samsung has really stepped up things in the camera department with an improved 16-megapixel sensor (UHD video recording) and an impressive f1.8 aperture plus optical image stabilization.
The camera is miles better than what was found on the Galaxy S5 and even seems to outdo the Note 4’s camera performance. As shown in our camera comparisons, the Galaxy S6 outshines the best of the best and that’s especially true for its video recording capabilities…
camera Stories February 13, 2015
Samsung has taken to Twitter to start teasing the upcoming refresh of its Galaxy S line of smartphones, and it’s starting out by calling it “#TheNextGalaxy”. While the top banner picture of the account has been updated with the same imagery shown in the invites sent out earlier this month, including the slogan ‘what’s next,’ the profile picture is where the real mystery is…
camera Stories February 5, 2015
Deal Alert: Samsung Galaxy 16.3 MP Android-powered digital camera for $150 (Reg. $450)
Samsung’s first-generation Android-powered digital camera is on clearance at Best Buy right now for a cool $149.99 (but currently only available for in-store pickup), which is a $300 discount off the list price of $449.99. This is $50 lower than the next best price for this model (at Newegg Flash), and the lowest price we’ve seen.
camera Stories January 8, 2015
HTC has announced today that users of its RE camera will be able to live stream video to YouTube starting tomorrow. The company originally announced this feature when the GoPro-like RE camera accessary was unveiled back in October. Today, however, the company finally confirmed a hard release date for the feature.
camera Stories December 17, 2014
IP Cam Viewer is well known in the Android community as being one of the best solutions for keeping an eye on IP cameras in live time, but the app is also known for having a really bad user interface. Today, while IP Cam Viewer’s UI is still as ugly as ever, a slew of really useful new features have been introduced, including the ability to monitor cameras on your wrist via Android Wear.
camera Stories November 21, 2014
Motorola updates its Camera and Gallery apps with a Material Design makeover
Motorola Mobility recently updated its Camera and Gallery with a splash of Material Design, giving its in-house software a refreshed feel. Owners of the Droid Turbo, Moto X and Droid Ultra can now use a wrist twist hand gesture to alternate between their respective handset’s front and back cameras, and they’ll also notice a refined flat interface that should fit in nicely with Motorola’s latest smartphone.
camera Stories November 10, 2014
We already described the camera performance of the Galaxy Note 4 as “pretty incredible” in our detailed review, but if you’re willing to root your device, a new XDA modification lets you push the camera app even further.
First, the mod removes the slight file-compression Samsung applies to still photos, increasing the JPEG quality from 96% to 100%. Video recordings get a much more substantial boost in quality, from 20-28mbit (depending on mode) to 40-65mbit. It also significantly increases video recording times … expand full story
camera Stories November 4, 2014
After releasing the the new PS4 Remote Play app for Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact and Xperia Z3 tablet, Sony today announced it’s bringing the feature for remotely playing games from a connected PlayStation 4 to its Xperia Z2 lineup. That means following an update for the Xperia z2 and Xperia Z2 tablet, users will now have access to the PS4 Remote Play app and full support for the PS4 DUALSHOCK4 wireless controller.
The update for Xperia Z2 and Z2 tablet also brings hi-res audio, the latest Battery STAMINA Mode feature, Sony’s Smart Social camera apps including Sound Photo, AR fun, Multi camera and Face in, and much more. expand full story
camera Stories October 21, 2014
Oppo teases the ‘precision optics’ of its upcoming N3 smartphone
Oppo’s N3 has been teased for quite some time now, but for some reason the company is putting a lot of emphasis on the device’s camera. Most recently, the company took to Facebook to tease a strange rotating mechanism that will apparently be a “true head turner.” I would agree with that. But today, the company has taken to Twitter to show off an image of said rotating camera, expanding it to show all of its internals. The camera, as was revealed previously on Oppo’s Weibo account, will sport a 16 megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor.
Interesting, the company says it also has a giveaway coming “soon.”
camera Stories October 14, 2014
One of the most important components of a smartphone is its camera. Whether you’re shooting video or taking pictures, there’s a certain level of quality needed to capture those precious moments. Let’s face it, most of our lives are documented by the smartphones we carry around, so why not have one with an excellent camera?
As we covered in our full comparison article, the Galaxy Note 4’s camera features some major improvements over its predecessor. Samsung has stepped up the optics, sensor, and quality of the Note 4’s camera and we decided to put it to the test…
camera Stories September 24, 2014
Earlier this month, HTC announced that it would be holding an event on October 8 to unveil some sort of new product. At the time, the invite made it seem clear that it was some type of camera technology, with the invite teasing the “Double Exposure” event. A week later, Bloomberg corroborated the speculation, claiming that HTC would announce a GoPro-like camera compatible with Android devices. HTC this evening, published a teaser video of the event, showing off action footage from a camera.
camera Stories September 12, 2014
HTC is reportedly working on a new GoPro-like waterproof camera that can be used to capture footage of extreme sports and other activities, according to Bloomberg. Such a device would be the company’s first camera that’s not permanently attached to a smartphone. Little is known about the unannounced gadget, however it’s said to feature a wide-angle lens, a 16-megapixel sensor and compatibility with both Android and iOS.
camera Stories September 3, 2014
Alongside new smartphones, tablets, and wearables, Sony has also today announced a refresh for its lineup of lens-style cameras with two new models: QX1 and QX30. The devices are made to be able to work on their own or clip onto the back of a smartphone, and if you go with the latter option, they’re able to connect via NFC or Wi-Fi and have their display via the Sony PlayMemories Mobile app.
