The optics section in smartphones continues to receive a lot of attention. And as if not satisfied with dual camera setups—both on the rear and front -- it appears you can now expect smartphones to sport multiple lenses which can be deployed by the user by rotating a circular mount similar to a turret system.
The first such device with the penta-camera technology could well be the Nokia 10 from the Finnish maker of the phones, HMD Global. That HMD has a collaboration with the German Optics major Zeiss, is already public knowledge, and it has used their lenses on their Nokia smartphones in the past as well, including the Nokia Lumia 1020 that featured a 42MP camera.
But the current set of information made available through leaked images indicate that there will be 5 different lenses fitted on the rear of this Nokia 10 phone and there will be a rotating base on top. While 2 lenses can be seen the other 3 would remain hidden and once the plate is rotated the user of the smartphone can select any of the other lenses to focus and click. This will enable the user to obtain a larger view of the object via a combination of the main lens and the lens chosen through the rotation.
Image source: Baidu.com
This is not the first time one is seeing this arrangement; Zeiss already has demonstrated it on its miniature zoom camera, but for smartphones, this may be the first. The use of multiple lenses has also been seen already in the Light L16 camera that has 16 lenses that can be used by the user to click images.
Interestingly, these leaks and rumors have nothing else to offer by way of information about the Nokia 10, except that the device will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845C. It is also being suggested that the phone will have a fingerprint sensor in the rear and the main display will have an 18:9 aspect ratio, a new normal.
But the phone is likely to be launched in the market only in the later part of 2018, possibly close to the IFA 2018. Only the technology and the prototype may be showcased during the Mobile World Congress to be held shortly.
HMD Global is, however, expected to announce many other devices in the MWC, including Nokia 6 (2018) for global markets, Nokia 7 Plus, the rumored flagship Nokia 9 and the 4G variant of the Nokia 3310.