Samsung could bring modular phones with replaceable lenses in the future
With the CMF Phone 2 Pro launching with external lens accessories, looks like Samsung has or has had something similar in the pipeline. A recent reported discovery of a Samsung patent shows a modular phone design with support for replaceable accessories, particularly lenses. The patent shows four main components that would theoretically allow users to snap on different lenses onto their phone’s internal camera system.
Spotted by 91mobiles, the patent was filed at WIPO by Samsung Electronics last year and published on April 24, 2025. It contains drawings of a typical Samsung flagship phone with an external square housing that sits on top of the cameras. There are four components mentioned in the patent: a device housing, lens assembly, image sensor, and a motor or actuator.
The device housing is the square attachment that seems to hold all the components. The lens assembly is the replaceable lenses that attach to the housing and the image sensor captures data from the lenses. The motor or actuator is what will likely enable focus and zoom capabilities by moving the lens assembly or the sensor.
The report mentions that the device will need to identify which lens is attached and it could possible do so by using magnets, RFID tags, or resistors. This would allow the device to adjust various settings within the camera app. It adds that this housing could support other accessories like flash, battery, an additional display, and more.
It should be noted that these are concepts and it’s hard to say whether they will ever come to the market. But with the CMF Phone 2 Pro and its implementation of interchangeable lenses, it wouldn’t be a surprise if more companies start to bring such modularity. The Phone 2 Pro has a separate back panel attachment that allows snapping in different lenses.
Source(s)
WIPO filing via 91mobiles
