Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ 10x optical zoom folded camera module, which is one of the main features of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, will now also be supplied to other global smartphone companies.
The company said that with the technology accumulated in the mobile field, it was expanding its business with global automotive companies.
However, the company did not specify the names of the companies to which it will supply the modules.
Basically, the folded optical zoom technology allows phone manufacturers to minimize camera protrusion in smartphones.
What is optical zoom?
Optical zoom refers to the function of zooming in or out on an object by moving two or more lenses. By adjusting the focal length of the lens, it emphasizes the object. Even after enlarging the image, the image remains clear. There is no deterioration in image quality when zooming in on an image taken with normal digital zoom.
Two years ago, Samsung developed the folded camera module that secures the focus point by refracting light in the form of a periscope and managed to achieve 5x optical zoom without the protrusion of the camera module.
In fact, when increasing the magnification rate of optical zoom, the length of the camera module increases, resulting in inefficient use of space in the smartphone.
“In order to solve this problem, Samsung Electro-Mechanics developed the double-folding camera module by refracting the light twice to increase the focus distance by two times while only increasing the length of the camera module from 25%, ”the company said in a blogpost.
To reduce the height of the camera module, the company applied its own lens which cut off the top and bottom of the lens.
Optical zoom camera can be used in automobiles
The camera module is not only used in smartphones. It is also used in automobiles and requires a high level of technology, including high resolution, miniature, thin and low power research.
The company’s blog, however, did not mention how the optical zoom camera would find use in automobiles.
Ik Chan Shim, general manager and head of the module development team at Samsung Electro-Mechanics, said that “the need for ultra-small, high-magnification optical zoom is increasing in the market. Samsung Electro-Mechanics provides products distinguished to customers in need through unique technology that allows us to directly design and manufacture basic products, such as lens and actuator. ”
For the record, in the past Samsung Electro-Mechanics supplied previous versions of optical zoom camera modules to Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo in China.
