TechPhonesAndroid PhonesAndroid phone users are getting this brilliant video calling featureOne of our favourite features of Apple’s iPhone is coming to an Android phone near youWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechPhonesAndroid PhonesAndroid phone users are getting this brilliant video calling featureOne of our favourite features of Apple’s iPhone is coming to an Android phone near youWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
One of our favourite features of Apple’s iPhone is coming to an Android phone near you
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Apple)
(Image credit: Apple)
One of the best things I can do with myiPhone 14is use it instead of my laptop’s rather rubbishwebcam– and it seems thatAndroidusers will be able to do the same in Android 14.
This is good news for anyone who needs to do video calling and owns one of thebest Android phones, because while smartphone firms have invested millions in their device cameras you can’t really say the same about a lot of laptop manufacturers.
For example the webcam in myM1 MacBook Pro- which was, and still is, a pretty expensive laptop – is just 720p. The camera in myiPhone14 Pro is 48MP. And that’s before you take the image sensor, multiple lens options and other differences into consideration.
Imagine sitting with all the power of theSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultraon your desk but having to use a crappy laptop camera instead.
I think it’s fair to say that for the vast majority of people, your phone will make you look better in video calls than your laptop’s webcam will. So this new feature is a pretty big deal.
How will your Android phone work as a webcam?
As developer Mishaal Rahman posted onMastodon, there’s code in the latest Android 14 build for a new “DeviceAsWebcam” service that “turns an Android device into a webcam”.
I hope this makes it into the final release, because having usedApple’s implementation I know that it’s really convenient and really useful. It’s just a matter of putting your phone somewhere where it won’t make you look like you have an enormous chin – there are dedicatedmountsfrom the likes ofBelkinto work with laptops and desktop displays – and selecting your phone as the camera. And that’s it. In my case the difference is dramatic: I still look like someone who lives in a bin, but I no longer look like someone who lives in a bin and who should probably see a doctor pronto.
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