External Cameras Could Revolutionize Phone Photography Soon
The Chinese smartphone market is a real battleground, and companies are constantly pushing the envelope to get ahead. One area where they're fiercely competing is in camera technology. We've seen all sorts of innovations, from partnerships with established camera brands to cramming all kinds of moving parts into phones. To get even more oomph, some companies have even experimented with external add-ons like detachable lenses.
Now, it looks like this idea of external camera upgrades might be about to take off. Insiders are whispering that several Chinese phone brands are playing around with plug-in solutions for their next flagship phones. I find this particularly interesting because it suggests they're hitting some kind of wall with what they can achieve inside the phone itself.
We've already seen some companies like Xiaomi and Vivo leading the charge here. Xiaomi showed off a magnetic lens concept earlier this year, and Vivo even has a photography kit for one of their phones that includes a grip and a lens with optical zoom. These accessories may let you get better photos without having to upgrade your phone every year.
One theory is that brands might use magnetic accessories that attach to the phone, potentially allowing them to reduce the number of built-in cameras. Imagine a phone with just two cameras, but with external lenses that can handle all the telephoto and periscope stuff! Another idea is that these accessories could simply attach to the existing cameras to add macro or telephoto capabilities.
However, it's still unclear how all of this will play out. Will these external cameras ever make their way outside of China? That's the big question. I think that we can expect some significant advancements in smartphone photography in the coming years. Whether or not external add-ons become the norm, these experiments could spark some interesting changes in the way phone cameras are designed.
Source: AndroidAuthority