While Android is more open than iOS and iPadOS, there is one area where Android apps have always lagged: third-party camera apps. The Android ecosystem has struggled because third-party apps can't access some camera features. However, that can change with Android 15, as Google has added a new feature that allows third-party camera apps to perform better while recording videos.
Third-party camera apps on Android can now record smoother videos using Camera2 API
Almost all Android smartphones use the Camera2 API to capture images and videos. This API offers extensions used by smartphone brands to third-party camera app developers. In Android 14, the Camera2 API has five extensions: Auto, Bokeh, Face Retouch, HDR, and Night. However, not all smartphone brands use all these extensions. For example, Samsung has used all these extensions for the cameras on its phones, but Google has only used the Night extension. Moreover, these extensions are only used for camera previews and the capture of still images. They can't be used for recording videos.
With Android 15, Google is adding a new Camera2 extension called Eyes Free Videography (spotted by Mishaal Rahman). As its name suggests, this extension can be used to record videos. This API “aims to lock and stabilize a given region or object of interest” and could point to electronic image stabilization for videos. Third-party camera apps that use the Camera2 API (like Snapchat) can use this extension to record smoother videos.
While basic stabilization is already offered to third-party camera apps, advanced EIS implemented by Android smartphone brands is locked or changes from one brand/model to another. So, it is tough for third-party app developers to offer the same performance on smartphones from different brands. This new Eyes Free Videography extension should bring better video stabilization on most Android phones.
The story continues after the video below, where you can watch some advanced video recording features implemented by Samsung on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Hopefully, Android smartphone brands like Samsung and Xiaomi will use this new extension in their camera apps. If they do, third-party camera apps on Android will be able to offer similar-quality video recording, which should narrow the gap with third-party camera apps on iOS and iPadOS.
