Android app: Magnifying apps

One of the features people can take advantage of from their smart phones is the zoom capabilities of the camera. This can turn your phone into a magnifying glass to be able to read small print. That way, you have one with you all the time. This may be useful for my mom (and eventually me, too!).

So far, the best one I’ve found is Max Magnifier.

-	Max Magnifier
	Can touch screen for focus
	Has still image capability which shows image within the app
	Clean design
	Supports pinch to zoom
	Free but ad supported
-	Others…
-	Smart Magnifier
	Automatically focuses when starting app and changing from portrait to landscape. Also, can touch the screen to focus.
	Free but ad supported
-	Best Magnifying Glass
	Free and ad free
	Seems sluggish like the processor is on overload. Makes panning difficult.
	Had trouble focusing unless I turned on the light
-	Magnifying glass (Perun Labs)
	Free but ad supported
	Uses +/- keys instead of slidebar for magnification level
-	Cozy Magnifier and Microscope
	Has still image capability which shows image within the app and allows you to save the image, too
	Free but ad supported
	Has pinch to zoom capability but seemed slightly sluggish
	Layout of buttons did not help in making it easy to use. For example, since pinch to zoom was sluggish, best way is to use the slide bar, but it is close to the edge, making it easy to hit the buttons at the bottom of the phone
	Light did not work
-	Magnificient Magnifier HD
	Shows magnifying level
	Free but ad supported
	Has capture image capability but my preference is that a captured image is shown immediately. It only captures the image and returns to the normal view mode.
	Had difficulty with manipulating the slide bar.
-	Your Magnifier
	Can touch screen to focus
	Has cool inverse black/white image function
	Free but ad supported
	Has so many buttons you have to scroll to see all buttons in portrait mode
	Has “Still” button but only shows black screen upon pressing it. Perhaps it was trying to access the macro lens capability which this phone does not have.
-	silver magnifier
	Has fullscreen capability to eliminate all the button/ads
	Free but ad supported
	Design of the app could be more aesthetically pleasing
	Has “Still” button but instead of viewing the still image within the app, it takes you to the gallery app. Also, the image seems a bit blurred. Obviously due to slight movement while taking an image at great magnification.
-	Built-in phone camera
	No ads, no extra app to install
	Supports volume -/+ buttons for zoom in and out. I don’t know why other magnifying apps don’t do this.
	Focusing without taking a picture is tricky. On this phone, place finger on shutter button and then move finger away while still on the screen. Focusing happens after dragging finger away.

See more progress on: research and compare