What if I told you that your smartphone camera could suddenly become much better by installing an app on it?

Nearly every smartphone owner on the planet uses their handheld to take photos, and most of us probably use the built-in camera app. It’s convenient, it’s already there, and most if not all phones have instant access to it via a shortcut on the lock screen. But for a few bucks, you can vastly improve the capabilities and even the image quality with a camera app like the recently released Obscura 4.

"I've been using Obscura 4 for a few months now, and the small design tweaks have always impressed me," writes technology and culture blogger and Obscura fan Nick Heer on his Pixel Envy blog, "but I want to point out the smooth transitions between screens and modes. These animations never get in the way, and they make the entire app feel fluid and alive."

Third-party camera apps offer two advantages over standard built-in apps like the iPhone’s Camera app. They offer more control and can take better quality photos, even with the same hardware cameras in your phone. They can offer manual control over settings that are normally only available automatically, and can make it much easier to access those settings directly.