Pixels get a lot of praise for their camera and even novelty features like Add Me and Camera Coach. And yes, Google deserves credit. But as someone who recently switched from a Galaxy to a Pixel, I did notice a few of the camera features I used to rely on missing. They’re not necessarily dealbreakers, but I’d love to see Google bring them to Pixel phones at some point.
Floating shutter button
One-handed shots shouldn’t be difficult
Phones have gotten bigger now, to the point that sometimes it’s uncomfortable to hold them with one hand and reach the shutter button. Samsung’s Camera app offers a clever fix for this. You can enable an extra shutter button that you can drag anywhere on the screen. This isn’t enabled by default, but you can go to Camera settings > Shooting methods to turn this on.
Pixel doesn’t have a floating shutter button like this, which means you either have to rely on the palm gesture or the timer, which isn’t the same. Yes, it’s a small feature, but I’d rather have it and not need it than not have it when needed.
Zoom-in mic
Capture the perfect sound
Samsung’s Camera app does something clever when you zoom in while recording — it also zooms in the microphone. That means if you’re recording something that’s farther away, the audio recorded also matches. This isn’t something I need all the time, of course. Still, it’s useful when I’m recording concert videos or capturing my kid playing in the park. It’s one of those things that makes total sense, yet most phones, including Pixels, don’t offer it.
This feature is also not enabled by default. To use it, head to Camera Settings > Audio options and enable Zoom-in mic.
Dual recording
Film and react, at the same time
The ability to record videos using both the front and the rear cameras at once has to be my favorite Samsung Camera feature of all time. It’s handy when I want to record something while also capturing my live reaction to that thing. If you’re a content creator, this is just perfect. You can find this mode under More > Dual Rec inside the Samsung Camera app.
This mode is flexible too. You can pick which lens feeds which window, switch between a video-call-style layout or a clean 50-50 split, and decide how it all gets saved. By default, Samsung merges both feeds into one video, but if you’d rather edit things yourself, you can also save the front and rear recordings as two separate files.
Pixel has no equivalent. So if I want a reaction shot alongside the main footage, I have to film twice, which is not as fun.
Record straight to external storage
Skip the storage math
We all love phone cameras that can record in 4K and 8K quality. The only problem with that is Galaxy phones come with finite storage with no way to expand it. My S26 only has 256GB of storage, which is enough for apps, games, and even photos, but it fills up quickly when I’m recording 4K or 8K videos.
Cloud storage can help, but it’s not always practical. When I’m traveling, for example, I still need a Wi-Fi connection to back up my videos and free up space before I can record more. That’s not always convenient.
The Samsung Camera app has a solution for this. It lets you connect an external storage device, such as a flash drive or an SSD and record straight to it. All you need to do is enable the Save to external storage option for videos, connect your storage device, and start recording.
This saves me the whole hassle of transferring videos manually later, which is a huge help for anyone who records as frequently as I do. Pixel doesn’t offer this flexibility, sadly.
Horizontal lock
Who needs a gimbal?
This one’s exclusive to the latest Samsung flagships, like the Galaxy S26 and S25 series, and it does exactly what the name suggests. It locks your camera into a horizontal orientation while you’re recording, so even if your hands are shaky or you’re running while shooting, the video still comes out steady.
It leverages your phone’s gyroscope and accelerometer to adjust the camera tilt in real time. More importantly, the footage actually feels like something recorded using a gimbal. Pixel phones offer decent video stabilization, but it doesn’t come close to what Horizontal Lock pulls off.
Multiple photos with a timer
This needs to be the new standard
This one’s a bit niche, but if you rely on the timer feature while taking your own photos or even group shots, most camera apps only take a single photo after the timer runs out. Samsung Camera app can take 3, 5, or 7 photos, and you can even specify the interval between these shots from 1 to 3 seconds. This is a huge help if you don’t have a Galaxy Watch or those Bluetooth shutter remotes.
This isn’t available out of the box, but you can enable it by downloading Good Lock’s Camera Assistant module. Again, the Camera app on the Pixel can’t do this, which means you’re forced to press the button until you get that perfect shot.