Flashback: smartphone camera sensors grew not only bigger, but smarter too

09 October 2022
Bigger sensors, bigger pixels - is that all there is to making a good camera? No, it's a bit more complicated than that.

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A-R-T-E, 10 Oct 2022So what if it gets hot? My S22Ultra and Sony1v gets reall... moreWhat now? As much as I can see I stated that Kirin 980 in my P30 Pro didn't get even warm under heavy load. I have no idea what are You talking about.

    Nick Tegrataker, 11 Oct 2022I don't know what "teardown" you are referri... moreAre you a photographer or you seem too no slot about cameras?

      • S
      • Shui8
      • KZK
      • 12 Oct 2022

      MOJ, 11 Oct 2022If i m not mistaken at some point Samsung flagships had it(... moreIt is, starting S9. But that was only 2 stages. Huawei Mate 50 can open up to 10 stages.

        Anonymous, 10 Oct 2022No, they do not. Teardown shows all elements are glass. ... moreI don't know what "teardown" you are referring to, but let me just tell you that whenever Nikon uses the term "Hybrid Aspherical Elements" they are made of plastic moulded onto the glass.

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          • MOJ
          • pV3
          • 11 Oct 2022

          Anonymous, 10 Oct 2022huawei mate 50 series has variable aperture.If i m not mistaken at some point Samsung flagships had it(can't recall it was Note8 or Note9 era)

            I want a mobile phone that is a combination of:
            1. Motorola DEFY plus, 3.7" and
            2. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1
            Dimensions: 110*60*20 mm. Screen size: 3.7"...4.0", 854*480 pixels. IP68, SoC: 6nm.
            Lenses, focal length (real, with sensor 1/2.4") : 4.25 mm, 9 mm and 15 mm.
            3 prime lenses, focal lengths (equiv.): 24 or 28 mm, 50 mm and 85 mm.
            or
            2 prime lenses, focal lengths (equiv.): 35 mm and 85 mm.

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              • fahrettin
              • J8A
              • 11 Oct 2022

              i think the future of the smartphone cameras is that 1 rare camera with 1 inch or bigger sensor with variable aperture periscopic camera system

                blue, 10 Oct 2022So you don't want real photos of what you actually see... moreThis is not about me personally

                But smartphones are already not taking real images right now

                Stacking images .. the end result is NOT what was truly seen

                People already prefer punchy colored screens that are not accurate to real life and blind photo contest that MKBHD does end of the year always ends up with the brighter and not the better quality image winning

                That alone should tell you what the masses want

                  True! The processing is incredible. However, 808 really struggles by modern standards. It clips highlights a lot, colours are lacking and it's very unforgiving to any shake. But if you have a good day light and you want to take a picture of people, pets, or nature there is still nothing that can beat it in detail. It renders very pleasant, smooth, yet highly detailed photos. Nothing can render fine details like hair or trees and grass like the 808.

                  I also think Lumia 950 is often overlooked. People mention Lumia 1020 but I think 950 is better. It's more modern, has better processing, outputs higher resolution photos. It's the last, best "Nokia".

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                    • Anonymous
                    • p1g
                    • 10 Oct 2022

                    YUKI93, 10 Oct 2022What I want to see from future smartphone cameras, at least... morehuawei mate 50 series has variable aperture.

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                      • Anonymous
                      • Lkg
                      • 10 Oct 2022

                      Nick Tegrataker, 10 Oct 2022Lenses for dedicated cameras often use plastic for aspheric... moreNo, they do not. Teardown shows all elements are glass.
                      Even patents mention.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • Lkg
                        • 10 Oct 2022

                        Nick Tegrataker, 10 Oct 2022Says no one ever. iPhone 14 Pro's 12MP JPEG shots stil... moreit is ugly, at least not as bad as previous.
                        colour science has been improved a bit.

                        Obviously it could have fixed if Apple wanted. Apple just does not want too.

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                          • Real Test
                          • 6wL
                          • 10 Oct 2022

                          The most realistic camera is Nokia 808, Lumia 1020. They are in a Royal League were only 2 exist 808 Pureview and Lumia 1020. After 10 years they continue to lead.
                          So naturaly.. and rich colors.
                          Bring NOKIA 808s original design but with these ( SnapDragon, Telephoto, 4k 60 Fps ) > and ANOTHER 10 Years will be NO.1
                          Others smartphones are in a league of sharpness and fake. Hurt your eyes when you look at they r photos.

                            TheLastOracle, 10 Oct 2022Mostly owned Samsungs. Owned an iPhone briefly and was shoc... moreCool

                              A-R-T-E, 10 Oct 2022"Hi, what phone do you own and owned?"Mostly owned Samsungs. Owned an iPhone briefly and was shocked with the software restrictions for transfer and sharing. Plus the ecosystem seemed like a glorified over commercial penitentiary. Got rides of it within a few weeks.
                              Used an HTC briefly too. It was actually pretty good.
                              Mostly used Samsung. Notes, and S Series. Used a mid ranger J Series once. Body was metallic and camera didn't have OIS, but the day time pics were pretty reasonable.

                              The glass back of premium phones is my only grouse. No matter how expensive your case, a few drops and rhe glass back will get cracks.

                                PRoArtsy, 10 Oct 2022Keeping mechanical perks aside, I would say Nokia 808 Purev... moreI'm with you. Nokia 808 PureView's photo processing algorithm is so realistic and true to life that I've seen a lot of people thinking that the 808 photos were shot from a DSLR. It's the same story as the Nokia Lumia 1020.

                                  YUKI93, 10 Oct 2022What I want to see from future smartphone cameras, at least... moreKeeping mechanical perks aside, I would say Nokia 808 Pureview was the one that gave me hope for the future with its processing prowess. I still go back to GSMARENA's 808 review page and wonder where we could have been at this stage if we had built upon where Nokia left off rather than giving it all away to the software.

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                                    • blue
                                    • Mx6
                                    • 10 Oct 2022

                                    IpsDisplay, 09 Oct 202210$, light absorption, plastic Even though the conversat... moreSo you don't want real photos of what you actually see. All you want is computerised image of something.
                                    By the way, how would you take a great photo of something or someone who is not in Google's database of samples? I tell you, you would not, because the poor computationaly assisted camera would simply fail.
                                    Instead of quality you look for quantity, but that's not the way forward.

                                      What I want to see from future smartphone cameras, at least in the flagship circle, is variable aperture capability. No matter how smart AI and ML is, it's still cannot beat real mechanical adjustment. That is why DSLR and Mirrorless cameras still have their place for true professional photography.

                                        Little Penguin , 09 Oct 2022How part of tech media acts : 1 ) Before iphone 14 pro ... moreSays no one ever. iPhone 14 Pro's 12MP JPEG shots still remain just as ugly as those from the previous generations and 48MP (or 12MP) ProRAW is the only saving grace.

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