Google said to amp up camera app with blurs and panoramas

Not only is the app’s software rumored to be updated, but it's also said the camera app could soon be a standalone app for various smartphones and Android operating systems.

Some of the best camera action Android users can get is on Nexus 5 and HTC One phones running KitKat 4.4 -- however, it's said that many of the snazzy photo features on these devices could soon be available to users with all sorts of smartphones and Android operating systems.

Google is said to be amping up its camera app with new features and reportedly plans to release it as a standalone app on Google Play for anyone, according to Engadget.

The rumored updates to Google's camera app include background blurring with a shallower depth of field, enhanced high-resolution panoramas, and Photo Sphere modes, according to Engadget. The app is also said to get a new user interface and no-crop viewfinder so that whatever users see through their viewfinder is exactly what will show up in the photo.

Besides reportedly enhancing its camera app, Google is also said to be allowing support for third-party filters, which means outside developers could work on various new features for the app.

While hardware still matters for smartphones' photographic capabilities, good software is also necessary.

Google announced last November that it was overhauling its mobile OS' plumbing to include two higher-end photography features -- raw image formats and burst mode, which captures multiple photos in rapid succession and merges them into a single high-dynamic range photo. The rumored background blur and high-resolution panoramas could complement these features and be useful to non-Nexus users.

CNET contacted Google for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.