The camera of our mobile phone is one of the most important elements they have. Capturing everything in front of us is already a reflex gesture, and every day it is more so thanks to social networks such as Instagram or Snapchat. Now Google launches experiment and publishes two new camera apps on Android, in addition to an exclusive one for iOS.
These tools aren't meant to replace your phone's main camera app, but rather to offer you new creative ways to use the camera, relying on computational photography, artificial intelligence and advanced video processing that Google has already perfected in its famous camera app for Pixel phones.
Three apps, three styles
The new apps that Google has launched aren't just your typical camera app for taking regular photos. They're... different experimentstransforming the experience of viewing what we've creatively captured. Therefore, it's not a replacement for your main app, but a complement to express yourself.
It's a program running parallel to the ongoing development of the GCam app, although alternatives like the... already exist. UltraCam app. Also, they are part of what Google is calling appsexperiment. This means that they work with experimental technologies and that its performance can vary between devices, something that must be taken into account.
These experimental apps are based on the same philosophy as the current Pixel Camera: intelligent scene processingAutomatic selection of the best frames and combination of multiple captures to improve clarity, detail, and color. These creative apps don't offer advanced modes like Night Sight, HDR+, or Super Res Zoom, but they do leverage some of Google's accumulated knowledge in computational photography to generate impressive results without requiring the user to tweak too many settings. If you want to compare them, check out the best mobile camera apps.
It is useful to understand them as play accessories to the main camera: while the standard camera app focuses on taking the best possible photo in everyday situations or high-quality video, Storyboard, Selfissimo! and Scrubbies focus on tell short storieswhether in the form of a comic, portrait session, or gif-type clips for social media.
It's a program running parallel to the ongoing development of the GCam app, although alternatives like [app name missing] already exist. Furthermore, they are part of what Google is calling [program name missing]. appsexperiment. This means that they work with experimental technologies and that its performance can vary between devices, something that must be taken into account.
These experimental apps are based on the same philosophy as the current Pixel Camera: intelligent scene processingAutomatic selection of the best frames and combination of multiple captures to improve clarity, detail, and color. These creative apps don't offer advanced modes like Night Sight, HDR+, or Super Res Zoom, but they do leverage some of Google's accumulated knowledge in computational photography to generate striking results without requiring the user to adjust too many settings.
It is useful to understand them as play accessories to the main camera: while the standard camera app focuses on taking the best possible photo in everyday situations or high-quality video, Storyboard, Selfissimo! and Scrubbies focus on tell short storieswhether in the form of a comic, portrait session, or gif-type clips for social media.
Storyboard: create your own comic
If you like comics, surely this app catches your attention. Storyboard it allows you create your own comic based on a video that you have taken. You will have to record a few seconds and open the video with the app. Apply the filter and automatically several frames will be chosen that will transform what was captured into a small comic.
The application analyzes the video and selects the most interesting moments using automatic scene detection and changes in movement. From there, it generates a composition with several panels that simulates the classic layout of a comic, ready to share on social networks or messaging apps without the need for manual editing.
In addition, as you have seen, they apply extra filters These filters give a hand-drawn feel, reinforcing the comic book aesthetic. They are reminiscent of the high-contrast and posterization effects used in other editing apps, but here they are applied... fully automaticallyOptimized to work well even with videos recorded in low light or with the front camera.
Storyboard also incorporates different visual styles that you can change with a simple gesture, similar to how you switch between HDR+ and portrait modes in the Google Camera app. You won't have manual controls at the level of a professional app, but you will have sufficient style variations as to generate very different compositions starting from the same video.
You can download Storyboard from the Play Store. Available exclusively on Android:
Selfissimo !, for automatic selfies
Selfies are the most popular kind of photography today. We use the front camera almost as much as the rear one, and Google takes advantage of it to take advantage of it with Awesome!, an Android camera that allows you take a selfie every time you pose.
The application works as a kind of smart photo boothWith the first tap, you'll start the photoshoot, and you'll need to change your position to capture new photos. Each time it detects a change of pose and the framing stabilizes, the app automatically takes the picture. Another tap ends the captures, and you can choose whether to save or share one or all of them.
The photographs will all be in black and whiteSeeking a more timeless and elegant style, similar to the effect achieved in Pixel Camera by combining blur and high dynamic range, but here focused on skin texture and lighting contrasts. By limiting the color palette, the app can concentrate on offering clean and high-contrast imageseven indoors with challenging lighting.
Selfissimo! takes advantage of the capabilities of face and posture detection Google's software to decide when to shoot, reducing blurry photos or with your eyes closed. It doesn't reach the level of features like Auto Best Take on the Pixel, which combines multiple captures to create the perfect photo, but it does save you from having to press the button every time you want a new gesture or angle.
You can download Awesome! from the Play Store and App Store:
Scrubbies, only for iOS?
The surprise comes with the latest application, exclusive for iOS. Scrubbies It lets you edit pre-recorded videos by controlling their speed and direction. The result is a short video focused on brief moments. Edit with one finger and save with two. A new way to create your own fun GIFs.
It works very simply: you control the with one finger direction and playback speedForward or backward, and with two fingers you record that creative performance to turn it into a final clip. It's a quick way to get loops, bounces, and repetitions without having to go through a complex video editor.
Although it doesn't offer advanced video features like 4K resolutionWith features like cinematic modes with background blur or professional-level stabilization, Scrubbies relies on the same concept as other Google features: to make easy something that normally requires advanced editingThe goal is for any user to be able to manufacture ready-to-use net clips in seconds.
Scrubbies is available as exclusive for iOS:
For those using an Android phone, the ideal strategy is to combine these experimental apps with their usual camera or with full-fledged alternatives like GCam or Open Camera, taking advantage of each tool depending on what they are looking for. maximum quality o quick creativity oriented towards social networks.
The arrival of these new Google camera apps for Android and iOS demonstrates that the company not only wants to compete on pure quality with features like HDR+, Night Sight, or Pixel Camera's portrait mode, but also to explore different visual formats that turn photos and videos into shareable pieces without technical effort, something that many users value as much as resolution or digital noise.
