This past weekend, a developer found a way to get portrait mode from the Pixel 2 to work on older Pixel handsets, the Nexus 6P, and the Nexus 5X. Now, another developer has found a way to adapt the technique to work on other smartphones running Android Oreo…
One of the most essential features for most smartphone owners is the camera. Because of this, Google focused on image quality when it launched the Pixel 2 and introduced new features such as portrait mode. But while the search giant’s latest and greatest got new features, the original Pixel and the last Nexus devices were left in the dust.
Thanks to the developer behind Camera NX, Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X owners can now enjoy taking portrait mode photos by merely sideloading an APK…
With a Motion photo, a short video that can be used to make clips and other animations is captured before and after every shot. Originally believed to be exclusive to Google Clips and the Pixel 2, a new version of the Google Camera app adds Motion to the original Pixel and Pixel XL.
One of the best things about the Google Pixel is its fantastic camera, and a lot of that comes from software Google has tossed at the device. Thanks to the work of some very clever developers, some of the Pixel’s “secret sauce” can be used on other devices, and now the app has been updated to add a key feature and smooth out the bugs.
Back in the days of Nexus, Google phones were always criticized for having poor cameras, but all of that changed when the Pixel came out last year and soared near the top of smartphone camera rankings. A large part of that is thanks to the Pixel’s HDR+ capabilities, which was incredibly quick to process and gave terrific results without having to dabble into manual controls.
Thanks to the efforts of a developer named B-S-G, the Google Camera app has been ported to non-Google devices, enabling the Pixel’s terrific HDR+ feature on just about any modern phone.
As part of Android O Developer Preview 3 from June, the Google Camera app was updated with a handful of new features. That version is now finally rolling out to all through the Play Store for current Pixel, Nexus, and Android One devices.
When Android O’s third Developer Preview started rolling out earlier this week, we found a decent amount of user-facing changes made to the operating system including some minor UI tweaks to the Google Camera app, as well as a pretty useful new feature.
Update 2/22: This version also adds flash to the front-facing camera. With the flash icon now remaining in the top right corner, the black bottom bar that includes the shutter button changes into an illuminating beige (check the gallery below). A system toast notes ‘warm light on,’ with the UI remaining brightened until switched off.
A minor update rolling out to the Google Camera features a convenient new setting for Pixel and Nexus devices. Beginning with version 4.3, users can now disable various camera sounds throughout the app.
Google is making some big claims on the camera found on its new Pixel smartphones, and to complement the hardware, Google has added a few new tricks to its camera app on the Pixel. Google Camera v4.2 is found out of the box on the Pixel, and thanks to developers on XDA, a modified version of that new version is available for anyone using a Nexus 5X or Nexus 6P.
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.
According to a report from SlashGear, Google is looking to combine the technologies used in its Goggles app and visual search tool with the standard Google Camera app. In doing so, the default stock Android camera will be able to recognize products and objects, then search for them.
At least as of its latest 3.1.021 version, it appears that Google Camera only works with Nexus devices. This is according to a new requirement listed on the app’s Play Store description and testing we’ve done with a non-Nexus Marshmallow device. Previously, as of version 2.5.052, the app was compatible with most phones running a relatively current version of Android. Does the addition of this requirement mean that Google is done updating the app for non-Nexus devices?
As you may know the user interface of the Google Camera app was updated with the Nexus 5X and 6P. Out for over a month, the new camera update was nowhere to be found on other devices, until today…
Google has just updated its Camera app to version 2.3 and with it comes the ability for users to snap pictures remotely using only their Android Wear smartwatch.
As first noted by AndroidPolice, once users open the updated app on their Android device, a connected Android Wear smartwatch will automatically present them with a shutter button that includes a countdown. Android Wear users will also be able to preview the shot they take on their wrist after snapping the photo.
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Google has just released an update to its Camera app on Android, as part of its “Update Wednesday” regiment. The update bumps the app to version 2.2 and adds several new features. One of the biggest new features is the ability to shoot photos in either 4:3 or 16:9 cropped resolutions. Although, it’s important to note that the cropping affects the total resolution of the image. So if you were to shoot in 16:9 on a Nexus 5, the resolution maxes out a 6MP. This changes depending on the phone you’re using, of course.
Google has also added the timer feature back to its Camera app with this update. The company removed it earlier this year, for some odd reason. The picture timer allows you to choose either 3 and 10 second timings for taking an image.
The update also adds new modes for shooting panoramas, including a fisheye setting. There’s also now a small settings icon on the first launch.
Google’s Camera update is available on the Play Store now.
Last month Google released a new Camera app for Android and while we enjoy most of its new bells and whistles, the price of progress came at the expense of a beloved feature. Absent from Mountain View’s new photo taking software was the ability to snap a picture while recording a video. Today, however, the search giant has made amends in the form of an update for its camera app that brings back this highly requested feature.
An update with today’s date is listed in Google Play, but its changelog has yet to be added. The folks at Android Police have already dissected the app and the returning photo feature is all they’ve found so far, but there could possibly be a few minor performance tweaks lurking in this new release.
Joining the Android camera app fun, Sony has released its “Background defocus” app for Xperia phones on the Google Play Store. The app helps blur the background of an image and simulates greater focus on the subject to create a more professional looking photo. The update requires Android 4.2 or later for compatibility.
Sony on how its Background defocus camera works:
It captures two photos with different focus settings, which you can bring together to create a photo with one object in sharp focus, against a beautifully blurred background.
How to use Background defocus:
1. Start the Camera and select Background defocus as camera mode
2. Tap the object you want to focus on in the viewfinder
3. Tap the camera key to take a photo
4. Change the blur level and blur effect with the controls on the screen
5. Tap the save buttonTips for best photos:To get the best results, please focus on an object 15-45cm (0.5-1.5 feet) away and make sure the background object is 5 meter away from focus target and hold camera steady.
Earlier this month, Google added its own camera app with lens blur functionality to the Play Store. HTC’s new One (M8) also boasts similar features with its camera software and hardware.
