PSA: Galaxy S3 Android 4.1.2 Update adds new ‘Best Face’ feature in Camera App

There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy S3 was and still is an awesome device. There may be newer spec-heavy devices which are out or slated to come out in the near feature, but it will take a lot more than just specs to rub shoulders with one of the most successful devices Samsung  has produced.

Samsung Galaxy S3 owners had some major excitement a few days ago, when the pre-final Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean firmware – XXELK4 was leaked out. While the official release should be on its way any day now, most Android enthusiasts that we know, as do you, seldom have the patience to wait for the real McCoy, when there is a perfectly stable unofficial XXELK4 update available, along with a detailed step-by-step guide on how to flash it.

The update brought along quite a few new features, most of them borrowed from Samsung’s very own Galaxy Note 2, like multi window multitasking and more. Here is the full list of noticeable features:

  • Multi-View (Multi Windows Multitasking, same as in Note 2)
  • Page Buddy
  • Notification Panel (Notification Panel can now be customized)
  • Smart Rotation (Screen Display adjusts to your angle of sightings)
  • Continuous Input in Samsung Keyboard (Like Swipe or Android 4.2 Keyboard)
  • Paper Artist App (Same as in Note 2)
  • New Gallery App (Same as in Note 2)

It now turns out, as discovered by XDA member Crest+that the update also includes another interesting feature in the camera app, which was hitherto only available on the Galaxy Note 2 – Best Face. We are already aware that the Galaxy S3 had a best picture feature, which captured a series of burst pics and let you select the best pic out of them. The Best Face feature takes this to the next level of detail, and actually lets you select the pic in which the best face of the subject has been captured.

And this is definitely a situation that most of us would have faced at some time or the other, with certain people who just don’t seem to get captured with that twinkle and smile, probably because they are fidgeting, or distracted all the time. This feature can help fix that, and the subject doesn’t even have to know it. And at the end of the day, you can show off all the pics you took, and gloat at all the comments coming your way saying how well you are able to capture the perfect expression of each person in a group pic, every time. Nice touch, Samsung!

Check out this short video which demos the Best Face feature in action. The device in the clip is a Note 2, but Best Face works exactly the same way on the Galaxy  S3.

[youtube video_id=”lhkgTLCmias” width=”620″ height=”400″ /]