Blackmagic Camera App for Android Phones?

When Blackmagic Design creates an Android version of their camera app, they will probably give it away for free for the same reason they give Resolve away for free. It is the Gillette Razor marketing model:
"Give away the razor handle and make your money on blades."

Resolve and the camera app are both vehicles to feed users into the Blackmagic eco system:
You like to edit in resolve? $400 for the mini controller, $600 for the keyboard controller.
You like resolve color correction? how about a color console? $860 for the micro, $2,100 for the mini and $27,500 for the full blown advanced.
You like Fairlight and would like some knobs and faders? $3,100 for the desktop with 12 faders or ~$31K for the 24 channel control surface.
What about rack mount screens, switchers, splitters, cross connect, format converters?
I am sure there are production suites that are almost everything Blackmagic. Just a few products that Blackmagic doesn't sell. Especially in the corporate/church world. It all just works together as a whole.

Likewise for the app. How about a Black magic camera or three?

Once Blackmagic gets a new user started with a free editor or app, a lot of users then find it simplest to continue on with other Black Magic products because they work so well together. It does not take too many $27K color correction consoles or $31K audio consoles for Blackmagic to start earning some real money.

start earning some real money.

Start?
Blackmagic Design: 1,500-Employees, $576 Million Revenue, and One Ambitious Founder

I'd love to see the camera app for Android as well. However, as others have stated here there are a lot of issues with developing apps for Android. I have mainly had Samsung phones and one of the problems for camera apps is Samsung has not yet released all the information app developers need to make the app work the way we all want it to work.

One area that Samsung has kept shut down is frame rates. They have not made it possible for app developers to control the frame rates the way the native camera app does. I have been using Filmic on my S21 Ultra and I am only able to select 24, 25, 30 and 60fps in any of the resolutions. Samsung has locked out 48, 50, 120 and 240 fps for 3rd party camera apps.

Why has Samsung decided to do this? Who knows. Apple has not done this. As for the other phone manufacturers, I don't know if they are able to access the full range of frame rates. If they do, good for them. But I don't want to have to pay for a camera app anymore. Filmic has made their app undesirable for me when they went subscription. If they offered a one time purchase, I'd consider them again.

With Apple having the BMD camera app and the LiDAR on the phones, it is pushing me closer to actually switching over to an iPhone. This would be a monumental change for me. I was in the phone biz for about 18 years and never considered an iPhone for myself because of how many limitations Apple places on their devices. But they have been getting better, as evidenced by the BMD camera app.

Anyway, that was my two cents on the BMD camera app and Android devices. It would be great to have the app available on Android but I can understand why some companies don't bother with Android too much.

I do hope they make the Blackmagic Camera App available for Android in the extremely near future!

If it doesn't show up at NAB, it'll probably never come.
I think they have a pretty good relationship with Apple. Apple used their app when shooting the M3 presentation on iPhone and they regularly demonstrate their computers with DaVinci Resolve. It runs really smooth on Mx machines.

After recently purchasing a Black Magic Cinema 4k Pocket Camera I began my search for a Android app and came across this forum. I find all the excuses here for Black Magic not having a Android app to be lame cop outs at best.

If all the other major camera manufactures can offer a Android app for their cameras there is absolutely no reason or excuse for Black Magic not too.

I have a significant investment in my camera and the accessories to create a complete workflow. The least Black Magic Design can do is provide a Android app for those who prefer Android phones as all the other major camera manufactures do. Get down to it Black Magic.

Case closed.

Raul X. Garcia
Director/Producer
IFC Short Film of the Month Winner

Arri has none, neither has Red-Nikon or Canon. Only Sony for their very own Androids.

Arri has none, neither has Red-Nikon or Canon. Only Sony for their very own Androids.

Not to mention that he says that he’s read this 2 page thread ("I find all the excuses here ... to be lame cop outs"), and apparently thinks it’s about an app for his "4k Pocket Camera".

Get down to it Black Magic.

Case closed.

Raul X. Garcia
Director/Producer
IFC Short Film of the Month Winner

Guess BMD has their marching orders!

If it doesn't show up at NAB, it'll probably never come.
I think they have a pretty good relationship with Apple. Apple used their app when shooting the M3 presentation on iPhone and they regularly demonstrate their computers with DaVinci Resolve. It runs really smooth on Mx machines.

The only reason I'm looking forward to NAB this year is that they could unveil the Android version of the app. At least one for Samsung and Google flagship phones. I love Blackmagic as a company but their apparent tight relationship with Apple worries me. I worry how much power and leverage Apple might have on what BM does or does not do. If Apple is the reason why there is never an Android version of the app, that would be very concerning. I'm sure some jurisdictions would consider this practice illegal, monopolistic and completely violating antitrust laws.

Blackmagic, please release an Android version. There are way more Android than iOS devices. So, looking at it from a business standpoint it makes not sense not to release an Android version that is just as good or better than the iOS version. This should be no different than developing a Windows and macOS versions of your software.

BM Please don't let us down!

Well, that relationship might be complicated. BM is still refusing to support ProRes RAW.

Arri has none, neither has Red-Nikon or Canon. Only Sony for their very own Androids.

Not to mention that he says that he’s read this 2 page thread ("I find all the excuses here ... to be lame cop outs"), and apparently thinks it’s about an app for his "4k Pocket Camera".

Actually I'm just interested in a remote control app. As the majority of camera manufactures offer.

I would never shoot or edit with a iPhone or Android. I find it hard to believe any pro shooter or editor would.

I'll leave the trends to the wannabees.

Just seen a video of someone at nab showing Blackmagic camera app on the pixel phone at the Blackmagic design booth

Here is the link to the video

Just seen a video of someone at nab showing Blackmagic camera app on the pixel phone at the Blackmagic design booth

Thanks very much. This is a fairly big deal.

Some of the reasoning in this thread is a little strange.

If BMD wanted to pick one or two large Android phones that's more units than Apple ships. Unless they don't want to offend some Android users by only supporting Samsung or Xiaomi . But that offends everybody.

I'd wager they've limited resources and picked IOS first. Nothing more than that.

Blackmagic Camera Coming to Android*

*select phones.

I want to extend my sincere thanks to Blackmagic for your dedication to quality and affordability. It's greatly appreciated that you listen to your customers and consistently deliver professional-grade products. We all admire Grant Petty's leadership. Thank you!