It's safe to say that both the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL feature one of the best cameras on a smartphone. Part of that is because Google outfitted those phones with a Pixel Visual Core chip, a processor dedicated to ensuring photos always look awesome.
With it came new features, particularly portrait mode, which blurs the background of a subject to give it a more professional look. The problem is only the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL received such features, while the original Pixel, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P failed to get the same set of cool new camera tricks.
Portrait Mode On Older Pixel, Nexus Devices Is Possible
There's always a workaround. The cameras on those aforementioned phones are still pretty excellent, so there's no reason for them to miss a simple feature such as portrait mode. So the developer behind an app called Camera NX just made it possible.
Camera NX
Camera NX has been in development for quite some time now. It's an app that promises to bring newer camera features to older devices, often because Google fails to do so itself. Here's how to download the app:
As Tech Times doesn't encourage installing apps from third-party sources, we won't be posting the link directly. For those who really want to check it out, 9to5Google has provided a download link on its site. After downloading and installing Camera NX, open that app and start using it. It's that simple. It also helps that it looks very similar to the Google Camera app, so it shouldn't be too confusing for those familiar with Google's default camera app already.
Camera NX offers a portrait mode for the regular Pixel, Nexus 5X, and Nexus 6P, but there's a slight difference to how it takes them. On the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, users only have to take one photo to trigger the effect, but Camera NX takes a bunch to achieve the desired effect, probably because it compares multiple photos to determine the subject from the background and blur the latter accordingly.
Also, it's important to keep in mind that portrait mode on Camera NX only works if it detects a human face, it seems. On Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, portrait mode almost always works with any face or object, but that's not the case with Camera NX, according to 9to5Google.
Do you think Google should have found a way to enable portrait mode on older Pixel or Nexus devices in the first place? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
