Smartphone cameras still have some way to go before they can challenge professional setups, but Oppo is hoping its 5x optical zoom technology will be a step in the right direction.
The China-based company is using a special event at MWC 2017 in Barcelona on February 27 to unveil an innovation that has the ability to blow current smartphone cameras out of the water.
The majority of smartphone snappers don’t even use optical zoom due to the space constraints and the fact the lens itself has to be adjusted.
Related: 5 tips to instantly improve your smartphone photography
Oppo wants to change all that by squeezing the technology into a smartphone – an innovation that has the ability to bring a noticeable improvement to camera functionality.
As it stands there are a couple of different ways to get a smartphone camera with optical zoom. You can invest in a camera-come-smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom or snap up an iPhone 7, which achieves the feat by using twin lenses.
Oppo used last year’s edition of the Barcelona-based trade show to debut another gadget in the shape of SmartSensor.
That particular invention is designed to slim down the optical image stabiliser (OIS) in smartphones by using a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) instead of lenses and mechanical parts.
It’s yet to actually reveal a lot else about the SmartSensor and, as it’s unclear how Oppo plans to show off its 5x optical zoom, we’ll have to wait until next Monday to find out all the details.
Watch: What to expect at MWC 2017
Do smartphone cameras need an upgrade? Let us know in the comments.
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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.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.