Huawei has revealed it is working on smartphone cameras with optical zoom capabilities, suggesting the technology could be available to consumers within the year.
With smartphone cameras still lagging someway behind their dedicated counterparts in a number of areas, including zoom, Chinese handset manufacturer Huawei has suggested that the first optical zoom hosting smartphone cameras are already in the works.
Speaking exclusively with TrustedReviews at MWC 2013, Kevin Ho, President of Huawei’s Handset Product Line, revealed smartphone cameras are to take a step beyond simple megapixel bumps, adding image enhancing new features in the very near future.
“I think we should soon be seeing optical zooms on smartphones,” Ho said. “This is a feature for the compact camera, but we want to design this on our smartphones.”
He added: “We want to make smartphone camera sensors larger, and we even have some optical stabilised designs for our next smartphones.”
Questioned further of the possibilities of seeing optical zoom hosting smartphone cameras, Ho stated: “We are doing some research around this area; we want to give the ‘wow’ products.”
Teasing a timeframe for the first optical zoom boasting smartphone cameras, Ho tantalisingly added: “This technology is very close, I think it is maybe one year away.”
Having risen to prominence during the past 18 months, from a behind the scenes provider of budget handsets to a manufacturer of wallet-friendly, specs-impressive smartphones, Huawei has suggested it is looking to push the boundaries of portable technologies, with optical zoom smartphone cameras just one avenue of improvement.
Suggest that multiple time optical zoom smartphone cameras could soon bring added benefit to handset’s integrated snappers, a move that could further spell the end for dedicated compact cameras, Huawei’s president of handsets revealed that eight-core processors and bezel-free designs also spell the future of the smartphone market.
Would you want an optical zoom hosting camera on your handset? Would this be the next key smartphone improvement on your desired hit list? Let us know via the TrustedReviews Twitter and Facebook feeds or through the comment boxes below.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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