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 their biggest weaknesses – the Fujifilm smartphone app.
According to the reliable Fuji Rumors, a "trusted source" has told the site that "Fujifilm is working on a new Camera Remote app". And it's about time too, with the existing smartphone app scoring an average of just 1.7 stars in the Google Play store and only 1.4 stars on the 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, sluggish performance, and limited image format support. While our experience hasn't been quite as bad as some of those reviews, the app is one of the weakest parts of Fuji's otherwise polished cameras.
However, the news comes with a note of caution from Fuji Rumors. Fujifilm has previously released big 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's rumored to be working on an entirely "new" companion app, rather than an update, is promising news for those who've been frustrated by the current one's inconsistencies. Fujifilm could also take the opportunity to introduce new features, like the ability to wireless transfer raw files to your phone.
There's currently no rumored release date for the app, but Fujifilm does have an X Summit planned for September – so Fuji fans will be hoping for some official news then.
Analysis: An important 'last mile' improvement
Burst shooting speeds, autofocus skills, and image quality are all 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 hobbyist ones like Fujifilm's X-series, will want to quickly upload their snaps to social media. But camera apps frequently feel like afterthoughts, despite their importance to many connected cameras' overall user experience.
This has particularly been the case with Fujifilm's app. While our experiences haven't been quite as bad as the worst reviews on the Google Play and Apple App Store, the existing Camera Remote app is certainly sluggish at times and doesn't match the quality of cameras like the Fujifilm X-H2S and Fujifilm X-T4.
This has pushed some owners towards using third-party apps like Cascable or simply relying on SD card readers to transfer images. But rumors of a new official app sound promising and we'll hopefully hear more news at Fuji's next X Summit conference in September.
