I speak to my phone to take pictures

Telling my Samsung Galaxy S3 to take pictures isn’t as daft as it sounds.

Quite a few weeks ago now, I received an update to Android 4.1.1 on my Samsung Galaxy S3 and one of the features I noticed (it may have been there earlier but I missed it) is the ability to take photos with voice commands.

My initial reaction was ‘err ok, don’t think I will be using that’.  However a few weeks on I have to admit I am using it quite a bit.

Due to the lack of dedicated camera button you have to touch the screen on the S3 and it can be a bit cumbersome depending on what and how you are trying to take the picture as well as wanting to keep the phone still to ensure the best image capture.

Thus, being able to hold the device with two hands to ensure a steady hold or motion if the subject is advantageous and then just telling the camera to take a picture is actually really handy as you can keep that firm grip on it.

Personally the best example of this working for me is taking pictures of my puppy, constantly bounding about 2 hands on the camera is a must for me. Or if one hand is holding the lead and maybe a ball thrower then one handed use of the phone and speaking to the camera to take the shot.

I also see another benefit, (all be it a less frequent requirement) for taking group photos. Prop the phone up or put it in a tripod, pose for the shot and tell it to take the picture.

One downside, and I am sure it is only a matter of time before this is improved, is you have to have quite a firm authoritative voice and a possible ‘American’ tone to the voice appears to help, well my girlfriend finds the American tone most helpful when she uses it.

Some may think you are daft or resent the idea, why not just press the button, but there are benefits and it is one of those enhancements that are often under rated.  I hope to see it on more devices soon.