LG has reportedly filed a patent for a smartphone with three front-facing cameras, for what may be the latest innovation from the struggling mobile phone manufacturer.
Images of a design patent reportedly filed by LG at the Hague International Design System, which is managed by the World Intellectual Property Office, were discovered by blog Tiger Mobiles.
The diagram shows a smartphone with a back that resembles the LG V50 ThinQ, with the three rear-facing cameras. However, the front of the device reveals a setup with three front-facing cameras within the display notch.
There appears to be three, circular cut-outs in the notch of the smartphone, representing the three cameras. The features of cameras are unknown, but a zoom lens will likely not be among them as that feature is not something that people will need when taking selfies. A smaller cut-out is also seen in between the second and third cameras, which may be the flash module or a depth sensor.
The LG V50 ThinQ features a dual selfie cameras, while the more recently released LG G8 ThinQ, comes with the Z camera paired with a time-of-flight sensor. If the patent turns out to be true, it will be the next step in the selfie camera evolution of the company’s smartphones.
A triple selfie camera, however, might not be what LG should be focusing on right now. The company’s smartphone division lost $72.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2018, and while it is not the only mobile phone manufacturer that is experiencing difficulties in the crowded market, it will not be possible to go on if it keeps losing money.
In Digital Trends mobile editor Julian Chokkattu’s review of the LG G8 ThinQ, he described the smartphone’s marquee Hand ID feature as “a total gimmick,” and that it failed to live up to its $850 price tag. The sentiment was echoed in an opinion piece by Tom’s Guide.
“The gimmicky strategy was one that was better-suited for a different era of smartphones,” said Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen, according to Tom’s Guide.
It remains to be seen if the reported triple selfie camera will come down as just another gimmick by LG, or if it will help turn things around for the company’s mobile future.
