Since Google introduced DNG Raw support with its Camera API in Android 5.0, quite a few high-end Android smartphones have launched with the new imaging feature or have received it post-launch via software update. So, while shooting Raw on a smartphone is becoming easier, editing Raw files remains tricky. The Raw-capable editing apps we have seen so far have been either very limited in terms of functions or designed for use on larger tablet screens. 

However, today Raw editing on smartphones has made a huge step forward as version 2.1 for Android of Google's extremely popular Snapseed image editing app comes with the ability to edit DNG files from both smartphones and dedicated cameras, including those converted from other Raw formats.

Anton Daubert, the Google software engineer who posted the news on his Google Plus account says the following:

A photo in RAW format preserves all of the original data that was captured by the camera. This allows you to perform edits – such as recovering blown-out highlights – that are impossible with the more commonly used JPEG format.

In addition to Raw support the update comes with the usual bug fixes and smaller user interface improvements. If you want to have a go yourself you can download Snapseed 2.1 from the Google Play Store now.