Dear Google: Please Learn from Nokia's Windows Phone Camera App UI

[PoorInRichfield]

Many years ago, I reluctantly gave-up my Nokia Windows Phone (because Microsoft gave-up, too) and switched to a Google Pixel. For me, the most important part of a phone is it's camera and both my old Nokia and my Pixel have great cameras. However, the user interface on the Nokia camera app was light-years ahead of Google's Android camera app.

While I like it that the Android camera app takes great pictures most of the time without changing anything, as a photographer there are times when I want to control the settings of the camera and I find the Android camera app's kludgy at best when it comes to being able to find and adjust the camera settings. (Not to mention that I can't even adjust most of the camera's settings )

What I long for is an Android camera app that is as quick and easy to adjust as my old Nokia camera app. With the Nokia app, one could simply swipe to display and quickly change the camera settings as shown below. It was a lovely interface. I miss it so.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

Many years ago, I reluctantly gave-up my Nokia Windows Phone (because Microsoft gave-up, too) and switched to a Google Pixel. For me, the most important part of a phone is it's camera and both my old Nokia and my Pixel have great cameras. However, the user interface on the Nokia camera app was light-years ahead of Google's Android camera app.

While I like it that the Android camera app takes great pictures most of the time without changing anything, as a photographer there are times when I want to control the settings of the camera and I find the Android camera app's kludgy at best when it comes to being able to find and adjust the camera settings. (Not to mention that I can't even adjust most of the camera's settings )

What I long for is an Android camera app that is as quick and easy to adjust as my old Nokia camera app. With the Nokia app, one could simply swipe to display and quickly change the camera settings as shown below. It was a lovely interface. I miss it so.

View attachment 328206

Have you tried a Nokia Android phone?

 

[Mike Dee]

There are Android phones out there that have manual settings that are easy to access.

 

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! I moved this from the Android Apps forum to the General News & Discussion forum since the former is intended for developers to promote their apps.

 

[Ry]

in terms of the Pixel camera, it feels like simple point and shoot is what Google is going for.

 

[dangerousfen]

Have you tried a Nokia Android phone?

I've got the Nokia 7.1 and the camera is ok but it's certainly not outstanding.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

I've got the Nokia 7.1 and the camera is ok but it's certainly not outstanding.

Nokia/HMD reminds me of BBMo/TCL in the respect that best camera hardware and software development from the major OEMs has occurred with several generations of hardware.

 

[dangerousfen]

Nokia/HMD reminds me of BBMo/TCL in the respect that best camera hardware and software development from the major OEMs has occurred with several generations of hardware.

Yes, but to be honest, my 7.1 did only cost about £240 so I wouldn't have expected miracles from a device at that price point.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

Yes, but to be honest, my 7.1 did only cost about £240 so I wouldn't have expected miracles from a device at that price point.

Agreed but I’m amazed how some of the entry tier and middle tier of the major OEMs deliver solid hardware that’s really just their flagship level or similar from two or three years previous.

I guess I’m really more commenting the obstacles that newer OEMs face when lacking proprietary information of research and data. It’s like a recent graduate looking for a job without experience and yet employers complain about problems hiring recent graduates since no experience. It’s a conundrum.

 

[dangerousfen]

Agreed but I’m amazed how some of the entry tier and middle tier of the major OEMs deliver solid hardware that’s really just their flagship level or similar from two or three years previous.

I guess I’m really more commenting the obstacles that newer OEMs face when lacking proprietary information of research and data. It’s like a recent graduate looking for a job without experience and yet employers complain about problems hiring recent graduates since no experience. It’s a conundrum.

Very good points you've raised there.

 

[Rukbat]

Have you tried Camera FV-5 Lite. Almost all cellphone cameras are manually adjustable, so it depends on the app. Google goes for a point-and-shoot approach, but there are apps that go for the SLR feel (shutter or aperture priority) or full manual (defaulting to auto) for shutter, aperture, WB, etc. Read the blurbs in the Play store, try a few that sound good, and pick the one that works best for you.

 

[Glen2018]

I too miss my old Windows Phone. It was so ahead of its time, smooth, easy and enjoyable to use. True it had some rough spots such as overheating and battery life, but with time and software refinements that would be fixed. Microsoft blew it when they shut it down. They were growing by about 1% market share per year and would have reached around 20% by now. Huawei ought to buy and update the software. However, as an amateur photographer I don't recall anything about the camera that was special or memorable. Camera software continually gets updated and changed. Today I bought my wife the Samsung Galaxy S20FE and it's very much like my S9. Nice, not Nokia Windows nice but still nice.

 

[Rukbat]

Microsoft turned Nokia's efforts to other areas - Nokia is one of the world leaders in 5G technology. I don't think the Nokia division is hurting, financially.

 

[Chuck Finley69]

Microsoft turned Nokia's efforts to other areas - Nokia is one of the world leaders in 5G technology. I don't think the Nokia division is hurting, financially.

Nokia changed their own direction when they sold the mobile hardware division to Microsoft and used the money to expand in their current business lines.