Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Qualcomm depth-sensing tech could turn your phone into an AR powerhouse

Christian de Looper
By

qualcomm spectra depth sensing zte dual camera 1280x720 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Rumors are gaining steam that the next iPhone will boast an impressive depth-sensing camera that will be able to map the room in front of you in 3D. Well, seems as though Qualcomm is beating Apple to the punch — the company just announced its new depth-sensing tech in the form of an upgrade to Spectra.

So what’s the point of depth-sensing technology? There are some pretty neat applications for it — one of which is augmented reality. Depth-sensing is, for example, a big part of the camera module used in Google Tango phones, which are built for augmented reality use. That could be pretty important going forward — especially as AR and VR continue to become important aspects of future smartphones.

Recommended Videos

Having better depth-sensing technology has applications beyond AR — in fact, it could seriously improve our simple photographs. For example, it could improve the quality of the bokeh effect we’re seeing available on newer smartphones. In fact, it could allow users to change the focus in the picture even after taking a photo — that’s made possible through a so-called “depth map,” which stores all the depth-related information with the image itself.

Qualcomm Spectra ISP camera module, 2nd generation

There are a few things that make Qualcomm’s new tech so impressive. For starters, the company told us that its camera module captures a hefty 10,000 points of depth — and even that number is apparently conservative. In the highest resolution, that represents 0.1mm in between each point, which, according to Qualcomm, makes it the most accurate depth-sensing technology on the market.

Related

First launched last year, the Qualcomm Spectra camera module made it easier for manufacturers to implement dual-sensor cameras in smartphones. The new module takes things to the next level — and will require three camera sensors to take advantage of active depth sensing.

Of course, it may be at least a few months before we start seeing this tech in the real world. Qualcomm says it will be available as part of the company’s next flagship processor — which will be the Snapdragon 836. Some reports indicate that the Google Pixel 2 will be among the first phones to feature the new chip — so it’s possible we could see the new camera tech on the upcoming Pixel, though only time will tell.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
These 80+ apps could be running adware on your iPhone or Android device
Illustration of an infected iPhone

Cybersecurity company Human has uncovered another adware campaign engaging in ad fraud that is targeting iOS and Android devices. In the simplest terms, ad fraud allows a bad actor to either visibly spam an app with ads, or to manipulate the code in such a way that the ads are invisible to the user while the bad actor extracts advertising money from a marketer.

In each iteration, it’s fraudulent. Ad fraud has been widespread in the industry for a while, and the latest investigation uncovered a cache of over 75 Android apps listed in the Google Play Store and nearly a dozen apps on Apple’s App Store that are engaged in various forms of ad fraud.

Read more
AI could turn your phone into a mobile health lab
Steth IO heart rate monitoring.

Your phone might soon be getting AI-assisted upgrades to benefit your health.

Google Health has introduced research projects that promise to turn smartphones into disease=screening tools. One promising avenue involves using the onboard microphones on a phone as a stethoscope to detect circulatory irregularities like murmurs. The innovations could be deployed through telehealth, saving the need and time for patients to travel to a doctor.

Read more
Your $1,000 flagship may not have faster 5G speeds than a budget phone
Moto Edge 20 Lite, OnePlus Nord 2, Oppo Find X3 Lite, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

After spending over $1,000 on a flagship 5G phone, you might think you're getting the fastest network speeds possible. After all, isn't that what you're paying for? But our recent network testing shows that may very well not be the case, with 5G performance on flagship phones being minimally better than budget phones, and in some cases, actually worse.

To give you some context, earlier this year, we put the 5G-capable MediaTek Dimensity 700 against the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 in a test to see which processor delivered the best 5G performance and had the best daily user experience. Six months on, we’re going to take a look at four new 5G phones with different chips to see how they compare to answer this question: Does paying more for a smartphone with a flagship processor inside give you the fastest network connection, or is it all pumped-up marketing?
Understanding 5G
Before going into the details, we received some very interesting feedback from MediaTek after our last test, which is also relevant to this one. MediaTek contacted Digital Trends to discuss the 5G speed test results, as the Dimensity 700-powered Realme 8 5G couldn’t match the Oppo A54 5G with a Qualcomm chip inside. The company then took its own test equipment to the area where I had tested the phones, and in conversations afterwards, it gave plenty of insight into how 5G varies across phones, networks, and location.

Read more