With leading smartphone brands finally embracing a dual-lens rear camera setup on their device, inter-brand competition with one of the hottest mobile trends of the past year is reaching fever pitch. However, with Huawei having implemented dual-camera technology in its mobile phones for over two generations, how will other smartphone manufacturers successfully overcome their latecomer limitations to beat this dual-camera technology pioneer? Put simply, this last minute push may be too little, too late.
Mobile photography is increasingly important in the age of social media. While some smartphone manufacturers marketed external camera modules to help take professional quality photos, the increase in size and weight meant consumers had to sacrifice the portability of their device. Knowing that the most indispensable characteristics of a smartphone could not be sacrificed, Huawei pioneered the use of a dual camera design that enables both a slim body and extraordinary photography performance.
In order to attain the best imaging quality, Huawei partnered with Leica, the leader in the world of imaging for more than 100 years, in a joint effort to develop dual camera mobile phones. Huawei and Leica’s dual camera system has been applied on three generations of Huawei smartphones, and is widely recognized by the mobile phone industry and customers.
The question now is how can dual camera technology evolve further, and what innovative experiences will it bring? Huawei’s answer may well be found in its upcoming smartphone series – the HUAWEI Mate 10, touted to hit the global markets shortly. In the teaser video, we can see that Huawei has maintained the same design for the dual-lens camera on the Mate 10.
The Leica logo appears in between the two vertically aligned lenses, with a dual LED flash on the left, and a laser focus module on the right. According to industry insiders, the Mate 10 may come with a dual-lens 20MP rear camera and a dual F1.7 large aperture lens, coupled with the Bokeh effect and the double optical zoom feature.
The HUAWEI Mate 10 is expected to feature a built-in AI chip that will further enhance its photo-taking abilities. By simulating the techniques of professional photographers, anyone can effortlessly produce professional grade photos. The Mate 10 may very well be the most powerful camera smartphone on the market.
AI has kept hold of people’s imaginations and remains a key trend in smartphone technology. Leading technology giants are competing for a leading role in the market and AI has become a platform for the phone makers to create differentiated value.
Aiming to come out on top in an already homogenized smartphone market, Huawei put in place a strategy to coordinate artificial intelligence (AI) development in terms of device, cloud and chip, as early as 2016. This ongoing investment in R&D has paid off and Huawei is set to further boost its dual camera technology with the help of its clearly defined mobile AI chip and mobile AI strategy.
Innovation is crucial in a successful AI strategy; something Huawei recognised from the offset. By continually investing in developing its own chips to compete with, the performance of its mobile chips is no longer a concern as Huawei’s capabilities in research and development are proven. However, the capabilities and innovation in the upcoming AI chip will certainly be something to look forward to.
Huawei has released a short video of “Phone Clone” on their social media account; certainly something to keep an eye on for the future.
