LG Engineers Cutting-Edge Optical Zoom Camera Module for Smartphones

LG Innotek, the electronic component subsidiary of the company, has designed an all-new, cutting edge camera module for smartphones. The manufacturer will officially unveil the Optical Telephoto Zoom Camera Module, or more aptly known as the Optical Zoom Camera, at CES 2023 next month.

Bringing together telescopic camera functions that were intended for professional DSLR cameras with smartphone technology, the optical zoom camera is situated on the rear side of the phone. LG says that the positioning allows images and videos to be taken without compromising quality, even when the user is zooming from a faraway distance.

Zooming is split into two main functions: digital and optical, with the camera utilizing the latter category. While digital zooming simply magnifies an image, inevitably resulting in degradation of the photo’s quality, optical physically moves the lens in order to focus on the subject and increase focal length. For this specific camera, 4-time and 9-time fixed zoom modules have to be mounted onto the smartphone for photography and filming in the magnifications of 4 times and 9 times.

While LG no longer makes its own smartphones, the company advertises that for smartphone manufacturers, less modules will allow for more space inside the phone and greater battery life. The company is also working with Qualcomm to develop zoom software that will be compatible with its latest chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The in-progress software will seek to address auto-focus, auto-exposure, auto-white balance, lens shading correction and more.

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