Right now, the Samsung Galaxy S24 has the top megapixel count of any phone on the market at a whopping 200 megapixels. Can you imagine a phone camera with double that? Snapping stunning 400MP shots is exactly the kind of feature Tecno wants to bring to your next Android phone.
Tecno is known for its technological innovation and advancements, especially with regard to cameras. Each year, the company holds the Future Lens 2024 event — and this year, Tecno announced two new imaging technologies alongside a sort of AI “brain” that would result in better image processing.
The first of the new technologies is the EVS Dynamic Snapshot. It’s designed to “overcome the limitations of traditional snapshot methods and the light intake constraints of compact cameras” and resolve blurriness in action photos. It combines Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVS) with Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) sensors to capture the full path of a moving object, rather than taking data frame-by-frame like a traditional camera.
The next technology could benefit from an acronym, but TAZDPT just doesn’t roll off the tongue. Tap Any Zoom Dual Prism Telephoto technology uses AI algorithms to take better telephoto shots. All users have to do is tap the image they want to capture, and the camera will automatically zoom in to the optimal level, which can go as high as 30x. Part of what makes the technology so impressive is that it is able to greatly reduce the impact of vibrations on the photo.
The really interesting feature, and the one teased at the beginning of this article, is called Telephoto Sweep. It takes multiple full-frame shots and stitches them together. This results in a composite 400MP image that can be re-framed during editing without losing resolution.
How exactly this technology will be implemented isn’t clear, but it’s likely that it will work something like a panoramic shot and require you to physically move your phone while taking the shot. If that’s the case, then a gimbal might not be the worst investment. Telephoto Sweep is made possible by a pair of dual prisms that capture clear images up to 14 times farther away than a standard 125mm camera.
Driving both of these innovations is Tecno’s new Image Matrix. This is a reimagined way of utilizing phone processors to optimize power, created in response to the complexity of AI calculations. Ultimately, this “brain” will optimize color, image quality, low-light view, and more, and it will supposedly be able to do it all without putting too much strain on your phone. AI’s demand on current batteries is noteworthy enough, so a system that streamlines on-device calculations without significantly affecting performance is a welcome change.
Tecno didn’t provide a timeline for when to expect the implementation of this technology, but if it hits the market within the next year or so, Samsung and other Android manufacturers could have time to pivot and bring cameras of this level to their next phones.
