Moto X Camera Test

A few days ago, screenshots of the camera app for the Moto X were appearing all over the place. Following these screenshots, the APK was quickly released over the weekend to download and I tried it out on an HTC One and a Galaxy S4. Check out my review below!

Gesture control, an intuitive feel, and brisk functions are the cornerstones behind the camera app for the Moto X. Android Police posted the APK on the weekend and made it available for anyone to download. I was pleasantly surprised with what I found in the new camera software, although results varied between the two devices that I tested it on.

Minimalist and intuitive

The camera on the Galaxy S4 ran perfectly with the basic functions of the camera app. You can easily zoom in for pictures, open up the camera menu and settings, and even change to the front camera by doing a bunch of different swiping gestures while the app is open. You take pictures by just tapping anywhere on the screen to take the photo and also can hold down your tap to take multiple shots. When I tried out the multiple shot mode, it took them at about 1 photo per second.

In this APK, the slow-mo video capture is disabled, as is the panoramic mode. The Quick Start by shaking your wrist can be activated, but did not work during my test. As well, I encountered a few crashes of the app as I switched between video and camera mode.

Not for every device

On the HTC One, I was able to install the app after multiple attempts. The slow motion for videos was activated on the HTC One, but after doing a short test the app hung and I could not bring it back up. After restarting the app (…and then reinstalling) I only got an error message. On top of this, I couldn’t even use the native HTC One camera app after this had happened and had to reboot my phone before I was able to fix this error.

Worth a Try

It makes sense that the camera app isn’t compatible across a wide range of devices, but is most likely catered to the Moto X and other Motorola devices. However, after my test with the S4, I have two thoughts:. First, I really like the minimalist interface and the swiping/tapping gestures that are built within the app. Secondly, I found it lacking in some of the features and settings that other camera apps have built in, but this may have been just because of the disabled settings when I was trying it on the S4.

If you want to try out the app yourself, you have to search a bit (as Android Police has since removed the APK). Take note though, this is not a replacement for your camera app and should only be tested and tried out. All installation is done at your own risk.