Google appears to be working on a series of improvements for cameras on Android, including burst mode, improved face detection, and the ability to work with RAW photos. The possible new camera features were spotted in the public Android source code by Josh Brown and Ars Technica, and they appear to have been in the works since December 2012. The updates would be part of a camera API that any manufacturer could tap into, allowing all Android phones to take advantage of these additions.

While Google may have been aiming to ship these changes in KitKat, it appears that they weren't ready in time. In October, the updated camera API was removed from the upcoming release code with the note, "Not yet ready." While the detailed features wouldn't immediately lead to better photographs, it seems that Google may be starting to address one of Android's shortcomings. Google has frequently been criticized for the state of Android cameras — especially as those on Nokia and Apple's phones continue to get better — but perhaps Google is now looking to change the story.