Blackmagic Design snuck a bit of a surprise during the NAB 2024 showing alongside the new URSA Cine 12K and the intriguing PYXIS 6K: an Android version of their Blackmagic Camera app.
For those unfamiliar, the Blackmagic Camera 191 app essentially turns your iPhone into a near-professional film camera, offering granular control over settings and pro video formats typically reserved for high-end Blackmagic cinema cameras. After almost a year of iOS exclusivity, Android users are finally getting a taste of that power.
Youtuber MrAlexTech 45 captured a glimpse of the app running on a Google Pixel Pro (presumably the Pixel 8 Pro) and a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. It looked smooth, but there’s a caveat: initially, the app will only support “a handful of devices” at least according to the info that MrAlexTech has gathered from Blackmagic Design’s booth.
This makes sense. Unlike Apple’s tightly controlled iPhone ecosystem, Android fragmentation is a beast. Thus, Blackmagic Design needs to ensure stability across a wider range of hardware than they’re used to.
Fortunately, they plan to expand compatibility over time, potentially bringing the app to older Android devices and even different manufacturers.
The best part? Just like on iOS, the Blackmagic Camera app for Android will be completely free.
Blackmagic 106 kept the app news under wraps until NAB, and there’s no word yet on a release date. But we can expect it to hit the Google Play Store or via Blackmagic’s website sooner rather than later. Just be prepared to check compatibility if you’re rocking a non-flagship Android device.
