Mobile

This new tool for developers will improve the quality of Android camera apps

Written by Faisal Saeed ·  1 min read >
Google Pixel 3

Google has released a new tool for the developers called CameraX that will allow users to make changes to how their apps use smartphone cameras. The tool at the moment is in its early stages of development, but Google says that CameraX will solve the compatibility issues and will probably work steadily across a wider range of smartphone devices.

Developers have to face a wide range of diversity when they code for apps because dozens of mobile phones maker companies release hundreds of smartphones and feature phones every year with a variety of Android variants in them. This makes the work of the developers much difficult while creating apps that tap into handset cameras also have to face an incredible range of under the lens elements. including sensors and IPUs, and other unique algorithms.

But Google says that CameraX will make it easier for developers to write camera apps, as this new API works across nearly all of the Android devices back to Android 5.0 Lollipop. Two lines of code instantly let the third-party apps align with the stock camera app on every smartphone in the market. This reduces the time it takes to write their own app. Furthermore, with its help, the developers can add advanced features such as portrait, beauty, HDR, and night mode. Imagine while using the Instagram app you can access your phone’s native HDR feature when shooting those amazing selfies.

CameraX tool also allows developers to add plug-and-play features into their apps to cover basic camera abilities. These features include previewing images on the display, capturing full resolution photos and analyzing photos through Machine Learning ability. It accounts for preview size, orientation, aspect ratios, and various resolutions.

Google is hoping that developers test CameraX which is in alpha stage so that it can bring the functionality to Android Studio soon.