Fujifilm cameras are well represented in our guide to the best mirrorless cameras, but rumors suggest the company may finally be about to fix one of its biggest weaknesses – the Fujifilm smartphone app.
According to the trusted Fuji rumors (opens in new tab), a “reliable source” told the site that “Fujifilm is working on a new Camera Remote app”. And it’s time too, with the existing smartphone app scoring an average of just 1.7 stars on the Google Play Store and just 1.4 stars on Apple’s App Store.
The main complaints about Fujifilm’s smartphone app, which lets you transfer images to your phone and remotely control your mirrorless camera, are unreliable connectivity, slow performance, and limited image format support. While our experience wasn’t as bad as some of these reviews, the app is one of the weakest parts of Fuji’s polished cameras.
However, the news comes with a note of caution from Fuji Rumours. Fujifilm has previously released major overhauls of its app, most notably in February 2019, that actually did little to improve the overall experience, and arguably made it worse.
Still, the fact that it is rumored to be working on an entirely “new” companion app, rather than an update, is promising news for those who have been frustrated by the inconsistencies of the current one. Fujifilm may also take the opportunity to introduce new features such as the ability to wirelessly transfer raw files to your phone.
There are currently no release date rumors for the app, but Fujifilm has an X Summit planned for September – so Fuji fans are expecting official news.
Analysis: A major ‘last mile’ improvement
Burst speeds, autofocus abilities and image quality are crucial camera features, but it’s easy to overlook the importance of seemingly minor ones like companion smartphone apps.
Most mirrorless camera owners, particularly fans of hobbyists like Fujifilm’s X-series, will want to quickly upload their photos to social media. But camera apps often feel secondary, despite their importance to the overall user experience of many connected cameras.
This was particularly the case with the Fujifilm app. While our experiences weren’t as bad as the worst reviews on Google Play and the Apple App Store, the existing Camera Remote app is certainly slow at times and doesn’t match the quality of cameras like the Fujifilm X-H2S and Fujifilm X-T4.
This has led some owners to use third-party apps like Cascable or simply rely on SD card readers to transfer images. But rumors of a new official app look promising and we expect to hear more news at Fuji’s upcoming X Summit conference in September.
