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Get Google Camera’s incredible Night Sight mode on Xiaomi Mi 5, Essential Phone

A new port has brought the Pixel 3's Google Camera app to two new phones — and it may soon be available for the OnePlus 6.
By
October 29, 2018
The back of the Google Pixel 3, showing the camera.
TL;DR
  • The Google Camera has been ported to the Xiaomi Mi 5 and Essential Phone, complete with working Night Sight mode.
  • Night Sight is a Google Pixel 3 series-exclusive feature that offers superior low-light shots.
  • The port’s developer is also said to be working on bringing it to the OnePlus 6.

The Google Camera app for the Google Pixel 3 has been ported to the Xiaomi Mi 5 and the Essential phone, complete with working Night Sight mode. XDA forum member Arnova8G2 released the unofficial port (via XDA) late last week, only a few days after it was made available on the original Pixel and Pixel 2.

Night Sight is a Pixel 3 Google Camera feature that provides superior shooting in low-light and brightens up scenes that may otherwise be shrouded in darkness (it works incredibly well).

Here's what the Google Pixel 3's Night Sight camera can do
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The port does come with a few small issues, though. Burst mode is broken in the port, and lens blur doesn’t work with the front camera. The app is otherwise fully functional.

XDA does note that the quality is improved but remains inferior to the Pixel 3 experience, but this can be said of the Mi 5 and Essential Phone cameras in general. Since the Essential Phone’s camera was maligned at launch I’m sure any of its owners will be pleased to try different options, even if it’s only effective in the dark.

Meanwhile, Arnova8G2 is apparently working on bringing Night Sight mode to the OnePlus 6 too, and possibly the 6T following its launch later today. We’ll keep you posted on developments regarding that — currently, the port is available but Night Side doesn’t work yet.

For now, if you’ve got a Mi 5 or Essential Phone and want to check this out, download the tweaked Google Camera APK here.