LG shows off optical zoom lens module that banishes the bump

By Trevor Mogg December 27, 2022

CES 2023 Thumbnail

See our complete coverage of CES 2023 here

Today’s high-end smartphone cameras still rely heavily on computational imaging for some telephoto shots, but LG subsidiary LG Innotek looks set to change that with its new optical zoom camera technology.

Set to be officially unveiled at CES 2023 in early January but teased by the Korean company this week, the technology paves the way for improved image quality for zoom captures. The module’s compact design will also free up more space inside the phone — perhaps for a bigger battery or even a larger image sensor — and allow phone makers to banish the ugly camera bump found on many of today’s top handsets.

Most existing smartphone cameras enable optical zoom only in specific magnifications, with inferior digital zoom applied to other magnification ranges. It also means that the phone needs separate camera modules for each of those specific magnifications, resulting in the multi-lens devices we see today. LG’s module, on the other hand, zooms smoothly between the 4x and 9x range, allowing for a continuous high-quality optical image that avoids any of the degradation you get with digital zooms.

LG says it developed the technology by integrating the telescopic camera functions found on DSLR and mirrorless cameras.

The tech company is working closely with Qualcomm to promote the adoption of its next-generation camera module, which has been optimized for the new premium Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip coming soon to flagship Android handsets. Apple is also a customer of LG Innotek and so could conceivably use the new technology for 2023’s iPhone 15.

As for the competition, Sony has already incorporated a similar technology for the 3.5x to 5.2x zoom lens on its flagship Xperia 1 IV phone, which launched earlier this year.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Contributing Editor

Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

Mobile

LG V10 launches on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon this week

lg v10 smartphone urbane 2nd edition 01

Dual-screen smartphones have always felt more gimmicky than innovative. The problem historically has been one of focus: Although manufacturers have approached the tacking on of ancillary screens in all sorts of different ways, the experiences have never been compelling enough to justify added bulk. The Samsung Continuum's ticker display, for example, was difficult to type around and hard to customize. The Kyocera Echo had a unsightly seam.

But that baggage didn't stop LG. Riding on the coattails of the G4's success, the electronics-maker announced the V10. It features a second display like the aforementioned handsets, but unlike the dual-screen handsets before it, it packs more than a few additional surprises: dual front-facing cameras capable of capturing wide-angle selfies, a manual video mode that exposes granular image settings, and a ruggedized body of stainless steel and silicon that's passed third-party shock tests.

Mobile

How to use manual mode on the LG G4 and take amazing pictures

lg g4 note launch date camera

The camera on the LG G4 may not be stacked with multiple shooting modes, but the integrated Manual mode does offer the kind of DSLR-level controls and features that any budding amateur or pro photographer can appreciate. That said, manual controls aren’t unusual for smartphones, but they're typically buried underneath a litany of automatic shooting modes that are far easier to use.

The G4’s Manual mode is one of only a handful of dedicated modes on the phone, yet, it also happens to be the best. The camera's wide f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization 2.0, and unique color spectrum sensor work to bolster its performance, allowing the rear camera's 16-megapixel sensor to take in more light for better contrast and color reproduction in low-light scenarios. Getting those results isn’t all that difficult, either, and understanding the manual controls doesn’t have to be intimidating.

Photography

Apple ad shows off stunning shots by iPhone snappers

apple ad shows off stunning shots by iphone snappers 6 camera 2

As Samsung wooed audiences at MWC with its new top-of-the-range Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones on Sunday, Apple, which doesn't attend the mobile industry's annual Barcelona bash, quietly launched a new ad campaign focusing on the iPhone's camera capabilities.

As much a demonstration of people's remarkable photography skills as the iPhone camera's technical capability, the online ad shows off a bunch of images taken by owners of Apple's latest smartphone.