google camera

Apple's camera app is set to get a pretty big upgrade with iOS 9. Now it's Google's turn to update its Android camera, and it looks like the search giant could be rolling out a few new features of its own.

An APK teardown from Android Police reveals several upcoming improvements included with version 3.0 of Google Camera. The biggest new feature is likely Smart Bursts, which automatically creates collages and GIFs when you hold down the camera button.

Google Photos already offers a similar service, but baking it into the camera app should mean even better creations. The new feature will likely also compete directly with Apple's new Live Photos, which automatically records 1.5 seconds of content (burst photos, technically) before and after each photo you take to create a short animation.

Beyond Smart Burst, Google's new camera app also includes a few other features including settings called "Photo Booth" and "Group Smiles." There's a new term called Creations which seems to describe anything beyond a regular photo created using the app, and there's an option to turn off Smart Bursts from the preferences tab.

There's no word on when Google Camera v3.0 will get an official release, though we're guessing it could arrive around the same time as Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Rumor has it Google has a big event set for September 29, so it's possible we'll see the new Camera app detailed then along with the company's new Nexus phones.