Google confirms Android camera API with RAW and burst mode support, teases Nexus 5 update

Remember earlier this month when references to a new camera API with support for things like burst mode and RAW support were found in the Android source code? Well not only did a Google spokesperson confirm the existence of the API today, but she also revealed that a software update that's meant to address the complaints that some have had with the Nexus 5's camera is in the pipeline.
Speaking to CNET, Google spokesperson Gina Scigliano said that Android's newest camera hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and framework do indeed include support for RAW files and burst mode. The HAL is a part of Android that communicates with a device's hardware components. "We will expose a developer API in a future release to expose more of the HAL functionality," Scigliano added.
As for when we can expect to see Google make this new API open to developers, well, the big G isn't ready to say. When asked for a timeframe in which Google might deliver this new API so that apps can use its features, Scigliano would only say that it'll be made available in a "future release." However, she did tease that Google is planning an update with improvements that'll be targeted at the Nexus 5's camera, saying that the company is "aware of the issues" that the N5's shooter has and that it's "working on a software update that will be available shortly."
The statements provided today by Google's spokesperson don't really shed much new light on the camera API that was discovered earlier this month, but it's nice to get confirmation of the work straight from El Goog's mouth. Perhaps the most exciting bit of news here is that Google is hard at work on an update to address the Nexus 5's camera performance, which is one aspect of the new device that's been knocked quite a bit since the N5 began appearing on the doorsteps of consumers. We'll have to wait for the update to actually hit to see exactly how much better it can make the Nexus 5's camera, but hey, at least N5 owners now know that Google hears their camera complaints and is working to address them. Stay tuned for more as I get it.