LG’s smartphone-making days may be over, however LG Innotek — a significant provider of cellular digicam modules — is alive and properly. It’s introducing a new telephoto zoom camera module at CES 2023, providing true, steady optical zoom. The corporate is partnering with Qualcomm to fast-track adoption of its new tech alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in upcoming flagship Android telephones.
Whereas most different lengthy smartphone cameras use image-quality-degrading digital zoom to succeed in past their native focal size, LG’s design makes use of shifting lenses — very like a standard DSLR digicam lens — which preserves picture element. This digicam module additionally makes use of a folded-optic design, additionally known as a periscope lens, retaining the general measurement down. The result’s a lens that covers a 4-9x vary, with true optical zoom in between.
This new design from LG additionally contains optical stabilization, which is a must have should you’re making an attempt to take footage at 200mm. The module makes use of a tiny, extraordinarily exact actuator to maneuver lens parts for zooming; the corporate says it could possibly transfer in increments of 1μm. LG additionally factors out that its design would enable telephone producers to incorporate fewer complete lenses on the again of their gadgets. Relatively than together with a 4x and a 9x lens, this design combines the 2 to take up much less area and scale back energy consumption.
LG Innotek is making no small deal about its new tech: its press launch says the digicam module will assist the corporate “solidify the worldwide No. 1 place within the smartphone digicam module market.” It’s already in a powerful place, thanks largely to its biggest customer: Apple. The iPhone 15 is rumored to include a folded-optic telephoto lens, and whereas it’s unlikely to incorporate this explicit mannequin, LG appears to be like prefer it’s desirous to get its digicam tech into a variety of 2023 flagship telephones.