It’s a niche, but I want my next phone to have an astrophotography mode

Photography drives smartphone technology in a variety of ways, continuously improving image signal processors, camera sensors, machine learning, and other components in the name of better photos and videos.

Nowhere are these hardware and software improvements more palpable than in the low-light arena, where today’s night modes are essential on any phone if you want higher quality images when the sun goes down.

Smartphone manufacturers have taken it one step further and we’ve seen more specific low-light modes such as night portraits, night videos, light painting, and night panoramas. But there’s one low-light mode that I’ve come to appreciate over the years and, niche as it is, I don’t think I’ll upgrade to a phone without it. Enter the astrophotography mode.

Astrophotography Modes: Niche, Yet Amazing

Google debuted astrophotography mode at the end of 2019 with the Pixel 4 Series, which allows you to take pictures of the night sky. The mode works by combining and aligning multiple 15 second exposures over a period of up to four minutes to produce astonishing images. Check out some examples below, shot with the Pixel 4 and Vivo X60 Pro Plus.

It almost goes without saying that this is a very niche and demanding camera mode in the first place. You need a tripod, a sky with less light pollution and about four minutes to take each shot. Obviously, there are more requirements than your typical night mode. But today’s astrophotography modes still require a lot less work than the traditional way.

Prior to this mode, astrophotography shooting required extensive editing and/or knowledge of: manual camera settings. These days, the phone automatically captures and aligns all frames so you don’t leave streaky smudges where stars should be.

I’ve found the astro mode images well worth setting up a tripod and waiting a few minutes when I’m on vacation. These photos remind me that we are just a little blue marble floating through space, showing us stars, the Milky Way, nebulae, and even satellites arcing through the sky.

I also like the idea of ​​astronomy, but haven’t bothered to really learn about the various constellations and phenomena in my neighborhood, so to speak. So in addition to capturing beautiful, otherworldly images, an astro mode also helps me learn about my night sky.

It’s worth noting that there are ways to get astrophotography modes on phones without the option, as unofficial ports of Google’s camera app often include this mode. However, these ports do not guarantee a stable experience. So it’s a bit of a gamble to upgrade to a phone without the mode in the hopes that an unofficial port will do the trick. It pays to just go the official route and get a phone with this mode in the first place.

Fortunately, there are several brands that include an astrophotography mode in their camera app. These brands include Google, Realme, Vivo and Xiaomi. So I have quite a few devices to choose from now that I’m thinking about an upgrade. Saying that, I’d love to see Samsung offer an astro mode on its phones too. This way I can have the great camera setup of the S22 Ultra and a niche yet cool camera feature in one device.