Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
Google’s Pixel phones are generally renowned for their cameras, with the Google Camera app offering great image quality and a few cool extras such as dual exposure controls and Super Res Zoom.
We’ve seen the Google Camera or Gcam app unofficially ported to a variety of third-party devices over the years, as well as modified Gcam apps that bring unofficial support for a host of extra features. So with that in mind, we want to know whether you take these ported Gcam apps into account when buying a new phone. Let us know by taking the poll below.
Do you consider Gcam ports when buying a new phone?
176 votes
These ported Gcam apps might not be official releases by Google, but they often have a reputation for delivering superior photos on budget phones compared to stock camera apps. We’ve also seen flagship phones with disappointing image quality out-of-the-box gaining a notable quality bump thanks to Gcam ports over the years (e.g. the Poco F1).
These unofficial Gcam ports also bring features that a phone’s stock camera app might not have, such as an astrophotography mode or pro controls. So they’re definitely worth a look if you’re left wanting with your stock camera app.
More camera coverage: The best camera phones you can buy
On the other hand, these unofficial Gcam apps can be finicky and unstable. There’s simply no guarantee that Gcam will run fine on your device of choice. These ports aren’t available on the Play Store either, so the sideloading process could be a bit of a challenge for tech neophytes.
It’s also worth noting that many of today’s stock camera apps are actually pretty good, such as Samsung and Huawei’s camera apps, reducing the need for a Gcam port in the first place. Either way, you can let us know via the poll above whether you take Gcam ports into account when buying a phone.
