In 2015, with the Galaxy S6 (Android 5), Samsung introduced an actually working camera quick-launcher.
In 2016, that feature actually deterioated (Galaxy S7 series and S6 series with Android 6.0 update).
These are the main deteriorations:
- When launching camera immediately after putting the phone into stand-by mode, it relaunches but closes itself seconds later, ditching me at the lock screen.
- Workaround: Exit camera using “back” key or home button.
- When launching the camera less than one second prior to screen timeout, the screen timeout takes priority. Re-launching immediately after screen time out has the same effect mentioned above.
- The system screen rotation takes priority over the camera operation.
- Partial workaround: Deactivate power saving mode, which minimizes that effect. (But power saving mode should ideally not interfere with camera operation!).
- Also, nobody wants to accellerate battery aging on a non-replaceable battery. Battery aging has turned into a time bomb for modern mobile phones.
But there is another change in the software I have (painfully) observed that is seemingly purely designed to annoy the user.
Under certain circumstances, when launching the camera, a pop-up,
“Camera has been opened via quick launch”
, with a tiny [OK] button blocks the camera user interface.
These circumstances are, according to testing:
- Camera launched via home button double press.
- Rear proximity sensor detects object.
- Front light sensor detects absolute darkness.
In order to prepare the phone camera inside the pockets without risking this pop-up pop into your face, one needs to use the on-lockscreen camera launcher, which is a blind guess where to swipe (but one gets used to it, but still not nearly as convenient as the double-press of the home button).
Here is what happens after the message displays:
- Tapping on dimmed background: Nothing.
- Successfully tapping that tiny [OK] button in a crucial moment: Closes that pop-up; camera operation resumss as usual.
- Doing nothing: Camera app closes in five seconds.
- Tapping the “back” key: Closes that pop-up, the camera still closes five seconds after it was launched (not after the pop-up was closed), even if one starts video recording during these 5 seconds.
All of these bugs mentioned above had not been fixed on the Note 7 (which added a 10-minute 2160p video recording restriction) and Galaxy S8.
After that, I have not tested it so far.
Whichever Samsung employee(s) had this moronic brilliant idea of damaging the usability of their camera software, is likely near brain-dead a close relative of Einstein. Obvious hyperbole, duh! But those user-unfriendly changes are still stupid from a logical perspective.
In 2015, with the Galaxy S6 (Android 5), Samsung introduced an **actually working** camera quick-launcher.
In 2016, that feature actually deterioated (Galaxy S7 series and S6 series with Android 6.0 update).
These are the main deteriorations:
* When launching camera immediately after putting the phone into stand-by mode, it relaunches but closes itself seconds later, ditching me at the lock screen.
* Workaround: Exit camera using “back” key or home button.
* When launching the camera less than one second prior to screen timeout, the screen timeout takes priority. Re-launching immediately after screen time out has the same effect mentioned above.
* The system screen rotation takes priority over the camera operation.
* Partial workaround: Deactivate power saving mode, which minimizes that effect. (But power saving mode should ideally **not interfere with camera operation!**).
* Also, nobody wants to accellerate [battery aging on a non-replaceable battery](https://poal.co/s/technology/117245/). Battery aging has turned into a time bomb for modern mobile phones.
But there is another change in the software I have (painfully) observed that is seemingly purely designed to annoy the user.
Under certain circumstances, when launching the camera, a pop-up,
> *“Camera has been opened via quick launch”*
, with a tiny ^([OK]) button blocks the camera user interface.
These circumstances are, according to testing:
* Camera launched via home button double press.
* Rear proximity sensor detects object.
* Front light sensor detects absolute darkness.
In order to prepare the phone camera inside the pockets without risking this pop-up pop into your face, one needs to use the on-lockscreen camera launcher, which is a blind guess where to swipe (but one gets used to it, but still not nearly as convenient as the double-press of the home button).
Here is what happens after the message displays:
* Tapping on dimmed background: Nothing.
* Successfully tapping that tiny ^([OK]) button in a crucial moment: Closes that pop-up; camera operation resumss as usual.
* Doing nothing: Camera app closes in five seconds.
* Tapping the *“back”* key: Closes that pop-up, the camera still closes five seconds **after it was launched** (not after the pop-up was closed), even if one starts video recording during these 5 seconds.
All of these bugs mentioned above had not been fixed on the Note 7 (which added a 10-minute 2160p video recording restriction) and Galaxy S8.
After that, I have not tested it so far.
----
Whichever Samsung employee(s) had this ~~moronic~~ brilliant idea of damaging the usability of their camera software, is likely ~~near brain-dead~~ a close relative of Einstein. [Obvious hyperbole, duh! But those user-unfriendly changes are still stupid from a logical perspective.](#spoiler)
(post is archived)