The more lenses you have on a smartphone, the theory goes, the better it must be.
At least that is what you would think from a cursory scan of the available headsets from the top makers.
And it doesn’t look like that trend is going to slow down any time soon.
Korean smartphone manufacturer LG just patented a design incorporating 16 sensors and lenses into a device.
This isn’t new territory for the maker: The premier V40 ThinQ (above) is already outstripping competitors in terms of camera modules but it seems like LG’s ambitions go way beyond the here and now.
According to DPReview, which cites Dutch magazine Lets Go Digital, the recently filed patent describes, “16 sensors and lenses in the main camera array. The individual modules are arranged in a 4 x 4 matrix and designed to record the same scene from slightly offset angles, enabling the capture of 3D video or interesting image manipulation effects.”
The demo drawings cited by DPReview outline how the number of sensors would allow for manipulation of in-photo elements to get the optimum capture. This includes different angles for different elements and vast photo manipulation capabilities.
A pretty cool example DPReview also makes reference to involves artificial intelligence determining the subject of a photo and then matching that photo with other photos of the subject for a more “flattering” facial expression or some other thing. That’s really cool and kind of mind blowing.
So when can we expect to see this kind of thing for sale?
No word on that as of yet but it’s cool to get a peek into future concepts that could dominate the industry. Patent filings are often read as tea leaves giving people some hint as to the direction a certain technology could take in the near future. From the looks of what LG is thinking up, the future looks pretty amazing.
