Today, smartphone manufacturers are trying to outdo each other by adding new modules and hardware features to their devices. For more than 5 years, such a phenomenon as a front camera has been known in the mobile market. Previously, front cameras had a purely decorative or auxiliary purpose. In particular, they were used on women's mobile phones to perform the function of a mirror; they could also be used to easily take a self-portrait. However, the full potential of front-facing cameras was not exploited until a new generation of mobile technology.
Modern smartphones and tablets are representatives of this new generation. Most of them are controlled by the Android operating system. In these devices, the front camera is mainly used for video calling. However, video calls became possible in them far from immediately. Despite the early appearance of the Skype app for Android, not all Android devices supported it. Similarly, not on all devicesSkype correctly recognized the second camera. Therefore, its use was practically reduced to zero, except that it was possible to photograph oneself.
Having received a lot of negative feedback about the incompatibility of applications for video communication with smartphones, the developers of the operating system took into account the shortcomings and, starting from the third version of Android, the front camera has found its application. Among the various means of video communication, Skype, mentioned above, has become the most popular, which is used by several million people today.
Now the front camera is not just a means for video communication. There are many applications that also use it. Among them are some of the most interesting. First, the front camera is used to turn off the alarm. By downloading a special alarm clock application, you can turn it off not by tapping the screen or other frequently used methods, but by swiping your hand over the camera. There are also quite unusual proposals. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone uses an innovative technology that controls the front camera. Its essence lies in the fact that the camera recognizes the closing of the eyes. That is, if you fall asleep while holding a smartphone, it will automatically turn off, saving electricity. On the same smartphone, such a mode of operation is implemented when you do not have to touch the screen to go to the next photo or change the track in the playlist. All you need to do is hold your hand next to the screen. These revolutionary possibilities open the way totechnologies of the future
The front camera is also used for simpler tasks. For example, on all Android smartphones, one of the customizable ways to unlock the screen is face control: comparing a photo of a face with a programmed original. For this, of course, the front camera is used. There are also special applications that allow you to use your smartphone's front camera as a PC webcam.
