Getting to know CameraX

Since the inception of the Android platform, cameras have played a pivotal role in defining the feature set of smartphones. From capturing moments to enabling augmented reality experiences, the camera has evolved from a mere hardware component to a powerful tool for developers. This evolution, however, has not been without its complexities.

The evolution of camera libraries in Android

Since the first version of Android, developers interacted with the camera hardware through the Camera API; this was Android’s first attempt at giving developers the power to harness the capabilities of onboard cameras.

As devices proliferated and features such as more advanced photo hardware grew, the need for a more robust API became evident. Consequently, Camera2 API was introduced in API level 21 (Lollipop). While this offered more granular control over camera capabilities and supported the expanding features of new hardware, its steep learning curve made camera...