What sensor, optics, IA chip: Will the smartphone definitely bury the traditional image?

Mobile World Congress is not a place where flea designers like Qualcomm or Meditack make their announcements, and if we keep potential cars and other more successful dynamic images on AI, most muscle inflation, technical offerings or even prototypes were focused on a single article: image.

As soon as Fira entered the large pole of Barcelona, ​​the tone was fixed, which features an important (sensor!

Qualcomm and Medetic wanted to talk about their chips – and to present their partners’ terminals. In OLED slab suppliers, such as the Samsung display, we were clearly entitled to demonstrate to know the ultra -light slab and the inevitable folding slab. But smartphones were not the same with manufacturers.

On the honor, Xumi stands and other Samsung electronics, terminals all look alike from the front. They just mark their gaps offered from behind. A state where, on the one hand, only the organization and the number of camera modules are different. However, bone devices will be identified, such as in Huawei, which requires complexity of terminals, especially two or three components folding models. Interesting, but an episode in front of the photography field.

The industry is still looking for big sensors

The two brands whose photography has been the most trample on the innovation is Chinese Xumi and Real. First, before his contribution to Leika, stronger, presented a prototype outer camera module called modular optical concept. A module that includes 100 MP 4/3 micro 4/3 sensor and 35mm f/1.4 optics that lifts the basic principles of Sony DSC-QX100, of which 1 inch sensor smartphone-AN-Accessories… 2014!

Eleven years after Sony, Xiaomi changed the concept by growing and identifying the sensor, changing the plastic label for the magnetic fixing system. But above all, the Chinese manufacturer, for the optical link called Laser Link, makes wireless contacts very slow, zipped.

Nearly a nearby laser, which is directly associated with ISP (image processor), is associated with minimal lettuce (a priority in nano seconds) that should avoid the loss of wireless connection protocol. Experienced on a modified Xiaomi 15, this pair acts as a charming on the Xiaomi stand. But when it comes to potential marketing, the Chinese brand is silent.

We note, watching the promotional video of this project, which Likika really does nothing in the project. The formula is optical is a very modern double gaus that has modern lenses. Sensor is the only micro 4/3 model we have never heard about both 100 MPs (compared to 25 MPs in recent Panasonic boxes) and which works on the principle of pixel bining. Laser Link is the first world in the world of smartphones and Xiaomi has developed its IA image processor.

For its part, the other Chinese circle bodybuilds the old idea of ​​its rival Xumi. Using the basic principles of the concept of Xiaomi 12S Ultra concept (2022), Relmi designed the terminal prototype that connects a 1 -inch sensor flush under a glass slab. Which allows you to mount the adapter for photo frames.

At the MWC Stand, you can not only see the Lika Optics, but also a frame for a quite secret Chinese optical brand. With a workshop to compare the 1 -inch sensor and the image quality of the iPhone 16 Pro (avoiding defaulting their own terminals) compared to its large format optics.

The purpose of these two steps, as usual, was demanded from external elements to repel the central threshold of smartphones, namely the small dimensions of their optics. If the demonstrations are interesting, there are defects.

Aergonomics and limits in the limits

According to a Realmi Engineer, who agreed to comment in anonymous condition, “This is not the electricity consumption of large sensors that restrict our room to the panel – we can manage it. This is the complete integration of the packaging of large sensors that faces structural challenges“He explains. Before recognizing”That Aergonomx is clearly the biggest black point of this approach“.

You just have to look at the pictures to understand that no one wants to handle big optics with the camera body (if you can say). Already, we weigh against some hybrid boxes compactors, a telephone is largely smaller and less easy to handle.

In comparison, Xiaomi’s approach with his compact and light module – and easy to install/remove – is more successful. Adopting the Sony QX-10/QX100 approach, this module still raises the question of investment stability if it emerges. It would be enough for the manufacturer to abandon his quality so that you can find with an unusable camera (a sensor + optical torture).

A war on all regions

Behind these prototypes, it should also be remembered that all actors in the world of smartphones compete at all levels to advance their image offer. Large and/or dense, ever more powerful/bright/compact zoom, Ram integration (stacked sensor) on the sensor, directly related to ISP’s NPU to accelerate the algorithm. The algorithms, which are more important than material parties, are more important.

There is also a desire to create a brand image, whether technical or marketing, buying the honor of traditional brand brands such as Hasel Blood (Oppo), Lika (Xumi) or Zees (Vivo).

And between modern components, IA design and training, etc. The cost of the design of terminal photo partitions is a fortune. But success is essential to the essential, especially in advance for a primary reason: a large argument for selling the image.

Photo, Basic argument for sale of smartphones

“It should already be understood that it is very difficult to distinguish the market like smartphones“On the position of the Chinese manufacturer Stand, Honor France’s Marketing Director Perry Allen Hard explained.

“The truth is that 80 % of the smartphones do not know anything about buyers or performance components“The expert says.”However, the image is the only factor that each one can compare, which can be opinion of each. We performed our honor by questioning 200 users, which is the picture that they preferred on their terminal. And shared shots become a type of business card from your device: If the pictures of your friends or loved ones are far more beautiful than you, you’ll be more inclined to buy a single device or a brand.“, Professors Mr. Hord.

With the prototype of madness at the MWC Barcelona festival, the Chinese honor plays less hardware racing than others, preferring to playing software cards. Particularly improving portraits Lts with its Generative AI algorithm (thanks to the local implementation of a small LLM). But he also has another weapon in his pocket: he makes a claw, a paw.

Color finally at the center of concerns

The condition of honor is to bet on colors and image rendering. A approach to Harcort Studio’s contribution to Paris’s Photography Institute. “” “Our partnership with Harcort Studios is artistic and not technical. It represents two and a half years of work to re -re -rendering rendering“Perry Allen Hood explains.

“Our major power is in software. And we are sure that our colorful matters and our offerings make a difference with users, as they allow us to separate ourselves from the competition and give the images a identity.“He says.

Having a quay method, this approach is a real phenomenon in the industry to find identified rendering and treatment of colors. We also noted that when we were with the French Laboratory DXO Lab, the iPhone 16 Pro with the quality analysis of the meat tons. Now that the photo quality has reached considerable extent in smartphones (especially advanced), the war has now been run on color.

Smartphones are facing huge stands and crazy spaces of manufacturers that are given their equipment and photography performance, can only be surprised when the software revolutions (IA, advanced software processing) are very traditionally broken into the “real” cameras. However, one thing is sure: Given the behavior of smartphone users in the picture, the Japanese world of the image absorbs these technologies. Either the Chinese manufacturer will make the opposite way.