Google to overhaul Android camera app, bring third party support: Report

While the best processor war is still raging, the best smartphone camera war has over the years seen factions mobilise forces. Other than a good hardware, good software also matters for a smartphone to be able to fully utilise its camera's potential. The most recent implementation of camera hardware that caught industry interest is the HTC One (M8)'s 'duo camera' setup with an impressive new camera app. Now however, rumours of Google overhauling its Android camera app for the next are doing the rounds.

According to a report by Engadget, Google is said to be augmenting its camera app for the next version of Android with a new set of features, and has plans to release it as a standalone app on the Google Play store for devices running Android 4.4 and above. The search giant is currently testing the new version and it may soon be ready to show it off.

The alleged new Android camera app is said to sport a refreshed UI and no-crop viewfinder feature, which will help users see what exactly will be captured as the final result. The other updates in the app will include popular background blurring feature, enhanced high-resolution panoramas, and Photo Sphere modes.

Besides the new enhancements, it's been reported that Google will be allowing support for third-party filters. This will allow outside developers to create and import various new features for the app.

So far, every smartphone manufacturer has tried to accommodate better camera optics in their next flagship and now there is a strategic shift for the next generation camera war. The fallacy that better optics equal better cameras has now been understood by consumers as well.

While the camera war is heating up, this could very well be one of the answers to where it will lead.