Snapdragon Devices Can Now Copy The Google Pixel Camera

Google Pixel’s camera uses some complex software to take its fantastic images. A Ukrainian app developer has found a way to port that software to any device that uses a Snapdragon 820/821 or 835 processor, so users can take their own HDR+ pictures without the Google Pixel.

The developer, who goes by the name B-S-G, posted up a modified version of Google Camera, which brings the HDR+ image processing to any device with a Snapdragon 820/81 or 835 processor. XDA writer Adam Conway reports that he tested the revised app on a variety of devices — an LG G6, a OnePlus 3, a OnePlus 3T, a OnePlus 5, and a Samsung Galaxy S8 — and found some real improvements with the resulting images.

XDA also looked at the code to make sure that there wasn’t anything malicious in it, and proclaimed it safe to install. While doing so, they found references to Muskie (a rumored Pixel device that appears to have been shelved) Pixel XL2, which leads them to suspect that the modifications are tricking the app into thinking that it’s running on the Google Pixel’s successor.

While this is a cool improvement, it should be noted that the software in the Google Pixel is specifically tailored for the camera hardware in the device. This isn’t going to give you a perfect Pixel camera, but it does look as though it can put Google’s software to work for your images if you don’t have one.