For Samsung cell phones, third-party providers are lenses that can be installed on certain mobile phone models. Now the smartphone manufacturer has patented its own solution. (Image source: moment)
Samsung has registered a patent that shows a cell phone with interchangeable lenses.
That is why this is important: A great advantage of system cameras compared to smartphones or cameras with firmly built -up lenses is the flexibility when photography. Mobile phone manufacturers compensate for this disadvantage by installing several cameras on the back. A cell phone with interchangeable lenses could further increase the flexibility when taking pictures.
Im Detail: The new patent Shows a smartphone with one or two cameras on the back where you can change the lenses. Through the text of the patent, we learn a few interesting details about the functionality:
- The lenses should connect magnetically to the cell phone.
- The integration of sensors ensures that the cell phone recognizes which lens is currently in use.
- The image sensors are mobile and can adapt their image stabilization to the installed lens.
- The patent also shows your use of this technology with a camera with periscope construction. This could be used to save space in the housing or to enable larger zoom levels.
- One of the drawings shows a lens with large lens elements. This could be a bright focal length.
The patent shows different constructions and lenses. (Image source: Samsung)
The idea is not new: Only recently have two manufacturers presented smartphones with optional lenses:
- A teleconverter can be attached to the Vivo X200 Ultra, which enables 8.7 times enlargement. This allows you to take photos with a full-frame equivalent focal length of 200 mm.
- With CMF Phone 2 Pro, a cheap budget cell phone, there is the option of attaching a macro lens and a fisheye lens.
- Lenses of third -party providers such as »Moment« can be installed on the iPhone and some other cell phones. These are also available for Samsung cell phones.
The large teleconverter from the Vivo X200 Ultra doubles the range of the internally installed telephoto lens. (Image source: Vivo)
It is still completely unclear whether Samsung will implement this patent. However, it shows that the manufacturer is interested in this idea.
By the way: Samsung already has experience with system cameras with the NX model series. Unfortunately, the manufacturer withdrew from this market a few years ago.
Opinion of the editor
Duy Linh Dinh: With the innovations in the area of »Computational Photography«, I do not believe that interchangeable lenses on a smartphone are as useful as one might suspect.
Thanks to periscope constructions, complex telephoto lenses can now be installed in thin cell phones. And thanks to large, high -resolution image sensors and AI, the digital zoom is better than ever.
Ultraic angle lenses are also installed in almost every cell phone today. I only miss fisheye lenses on a smartphone. But even such could be integrated into cell phones: a fisheye lens in which the distortion is corrected internally via software. The user should then have the opportunity to activate or deactivate this correction. So one would have Fisheye and UltraWeitwinkel in one.
Of course, interchangeable lenses still offer increased flexibility compared to fixed lenses. However, I would assume that this is a feature that speaks to mostly photography enthusiasts like me. And they prefer to use a dedicated camera.
Maybe I'm wrong and this is the next big trend in smartphones? I am definitely excited and I am happy about every innovation in this area.
Would you want to buy a cell phone with interchangeable lenses? Please write us your opinion in the comments!
