The launch of the Google Pixel 2 was highlighted by the debut of Android Oreo and Project Treble, but it’s the camera’s portrait mode feature that stole the show.
Just yesterday, we published a post giving details of how to get the portrait mode on Google Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and the original Pixel and Pixel XL. Of course, this wasn’t an official update, but it came courtesy of the Camera NX mod. Using a similar channel, it’s now possible to have the Google Pixel 2 portrait mode camera feature on any non-Google phone, but there’s a catch.
As if building up from where the works on Camera NX stopped, other developers have now managed to port the portrait mode to devices that are already on Android Oreo. In case you hadn’t noticed, the initial batch of devices that were successfully added to the portrait mode bandwagon through the Camera NX mod are all on Android Oreo. With this in mind, it makes sense that the subsequent efforts are still limited to the OS, but at least the feature has now left the comforts of the Google ecosystem.
The same Camera NX app has now been modified to work with devices such as OnePlus 3 and 3T, Xiaomi Mi 5/5s using Lineage OS as well as a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 that has already made the jump to Android Oreo thanks to a previously leaked beta ROM. According to XDA developers, this Google Pixel 2 portrait mode mod should work perfectly with all 64-bit devices as long as they have Oreo on board. Since this is just a modified version of the original Camera NX mod, you still won’t require rooted access in order to install it on your non-Google phone.
Unlike the case of Google Pixel 2 where the portrait mode is also supported on the selfie camera, this mod is still limited to the main shooter, but there should be some changes to this with future updates. If you feel like giving the Camera NX a shot, you can grab the APK via the XDA forum. Also, remember to keep an eye on the developer’s thread on the same platform so that you don’t miss out when future updates are rolled out.