Camera

The prolific leaker Ice Universe has made new predictions concerning the Galaxy S22 series' Ultra variant. Not only does the tipster believe that it will introduce the mythical Samsung/AMD mobile GPU, it will also debut with a potential breakthrough in optical zoom for smartphones. The putative flagship may also drop the current central punch-hole selfie shooter for one that hides under the display.

OnePlus has released the results for its business in the European region for the first quarter of 2021 (1Q2021). The OEM asserts that sales in this market have increased by 388% compared to 1Q2020, leading to revenues of 286% more year-on-year (YoY). It also claims to be in the top 3 among smartphone brands in multiple countries of this zone.

Trust has announced that its latest Taxon webcam has a QHD (2560x1440) sensor. It also features auto-focus for its high-res lens, as well as dual mics and a USB plug-and-play nature. It has been released to Amazon in the UK for £69.99 (~US$97), or £48.99 (~$68) for a limited time.

The Nubia Z20 stood out among Android flagship phones thanks to the 5.1-inch display built right into its rear panel. However, its maker has now shared renders that suggest its next generation will not reprise the feature. Then again, it may get a display with a selfie camera that can be concealed under its panel instead.

Xiaomi's 2022 flagship, presumably the Mi 12, could be the world's first smartphone to run a 200MP camera sensor. The unnamed sensor could be 1" in size. Samsung is likely to unveil it sometime in September this year.

Google is projected to launch the Pixel 5a soon. A new and slightly dubious leak that may point to some of its camera features has emerged. It suggests that the phone has a possibly new ultra-wide sensor and has enhanced HDR capabilities.

Sony asserts that its latest lens is a particularly compact and versatile example of its G Master series. The new accessory has a large F1.8 aperture, and advanced optical components rated for enhanced resolution and reduced distortion. Therefore, the OEM asserts it is as suitable for ultra-wide photography as it is for low-light shots and bokeh shots.

Asus is projected to debut the successors to the ZenFone 7 series, the OEM's innovative flip-cam-enabled take on the premium Android smartphone, soon. A device with a model number that might correspond to one of these upcoming 2021 flagships has appeared on Geekbench 5, possibly confirming its processor as the Snapdragon 888.

Sony’s promotional efforts for the upcoming release of its Xperia 1 III flagship smartphone is now in full swing. The company has published a new video to YouTube depicting its Alpha camera engineers discussing how they developed its new camera system.

Tipster Ice Universe has targeted the second half of 2021 for a breakthrough of smartphones with under-display cameras (UDCs). Devices expected to feature the technology include the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold range, Xiaomi MIX 4, an Oppo foldable, VIVO and ZTE.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 may be a great smartphone, but it is not up there with the camera performance of other flagship smartphones released this year, Mi 11 Ultra included. Unfortunately, the Mi 11 cannot meet Xiaomi's marketing, even with its 108 MP camera.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra ships with an Exynos 2100 SoC in Europe and other regions, but with the Snapdragon 888 in China and North America. While the two SoCs are more or less even in terms of performance, DxOMark has shown that the Exynos 2100 model delivers worse image quality.

Motorola will launch the Moto G60 soon. This phone is the OEM's 108MP mid-ranger for 2021 that will come with the Snapdragon 732G processor and a 120Hz screen. According to its latest tip, these specs will be joined by 6GB of RAM - or 4GB in the G40 Fusion. This secondary variant has a 64MP main sensor instead, but will be very similar to the G60 otherwise.

The Air 2S is the successor to the DJI Mavic Air 2, even if it has new and snappier branding. It also has a sensor of 1 inch in size, which outdoes its forebear by a good margin. The new CMOS supports up to 5.4K recording at up to 30fps, and allows for zooming while in flight. The DJI Air 2S starts for US$999 from now.

ZTE has debuted its 2021 flagship smartphone series with a launch for the Axon 30 Pro and 30 Ultra in China. The latter is the one with the OEM's intensely-hyped "Trinity" rear camera system. It also has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and, of course, that Snapdragon 888 SoC.

According to famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 2022 iPhone line will include massive 48-megapixel sensors and will be able to record 8K video. Kuo also claims that Apple will kill off the Mini model that has so far struggled to sell.

A prolific camera-tech leaker claims that there is a new unit called the EOS R3 in the works at Canon. It will allegedly be mirrorless, yet be quite like the 1D series in terms of looks. Therefore, the putative new premium device might be best suited to high-speed, high-action subjects, which would make a rumored debut at the 2021 Olympic Games more plausible.

The ZenFone 7 series is Asus' 2020 camera-focused flagship phone series. Despite this, the 2 devices are only just now receiving the OTA to update them to Android 11. This worldwide roll-out also upgrades their security patch level to March 5, 2021.

The Samsung Galaxy A80 was a phone in which a sliding mechanism was integrated so that its main cameras could flip around to the front as needed. Recent leaks have pointed to a 2021 successor for this innovative device, even if it might be a South Korea exclusive called the Quantum 2. This device may have emerged in new live images that may confirm the swivel-cam is not making a comeback after all.

Sony remains the number one supplier of camera sensors to smartphone OEMs globally, according to Strategy Analytics. Coming in a distant second place is Samsung with Omnivision in third place followed by other vendors.

ZTE has revealed that its Axon30 line of Snapdragon 888-powered Android flagships will launch on April 15, 2021. The OEM has also strongly hinted at a rear camera hump that will contain 3 sensors of 64MP in resolution, with an extra periscope zoom lens in higher-end variants. The devices might also have a 4,500mAh battery with a 55W charging speed.

Under-display selfie camera; new 50MP Samsung main camera; up to 120W charging: the upcoming next-gen Vivo NEX is now slated to have it all. On the other hand, this phone might rock a constantly polarizing quad-curved display. It is also now said to launch in the next half of 2021.

Lenovo avoided punch-holes or notches in the display of its first-gen Android gaming phone by developing an innovative pop-up selfie camera, hidden in one of this device's sides rather than in its top edge, instead. Now, the OEM has revealed this feature is making a comeback in its upcoming Legion 2 Pro flagship, leaving its 144Hz screen free of any interruptions.

OnePlus has just launched the 9 series of flagship phones. Despite this, it has felt the need to push a software update to the 2 devices already with tweaks for their Hasselblad-branded cameras.

2021's iPhones are currently projected to turn out as more or less iterative upgrades over their predecessors; on the other hand, these changes might be significant for those with strong feelings about the notches that have dominated this series' displays for so many years. The latest leak, which might pertain to the new Pro model, reiterates existing tips that point to a smaller cut-out for the "13" variant's screen.

The Motorola Moto G60 has yet to be launched, yet is already being touted as a device in which a 108MP main camera trickles down into the middle tier of the smartphone market in 2021. A new leak appears to show this phone from all angles, possibly revealing its punch-hole display and 3.5mm headphone jack.

A select handful of mobile device OEMs design their own custom silicon, and Xiaomi has just re-joined these ranks with the new Surge C1. Unlike other first-party chipsets, this one is a new image signal processor designed specifically for the company's new flagship foldable device. It controls a cutting-edge liquid lens, as well as a multi-use sensor.

Xiaomi has confirmed that the Mi 11 Pro will ship with a new Samsung ISOCELL GN2 sensor for a main camera. It will also do so in very slim and 2021 retail packaging, as it lacks a charger as standard. Then again, the OEM will offer deals on its new, cutting-edge power accessories to the 11 Pro's Chinese audience.

Although the full review is not live yet, the final scores are public, and one thing is certain: the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is DxOMark's new king. The overall score of 143 is the result of the following areas: 148 (photo), 100 (zoom), and 117 (video), enough to grab first place from the Huawei Mate 40 Pro+.

Xiaomi has launched a new(-ish) variant of the Mi 11 series at its major international product event of today (March 29, 2021). It has a premium 6.67-inch FHD+ E4 AMOLED display, a 108MP main camera and the Snapdragon 888 processor. Then again, it also packs a 33W charging rate, which matches its mid-range starting price.

According to the cybersecurity specialists Zimperium, a non-Google Play Store app masquerading as a system-update tool found online is in fact Android malware. Once installed on devices via side-loading, it apparently steals information ranging from SMS messages to clipboard data. It may also hijack phone cameras and mics to spy on unsuspecting users.

The Ricoh Theta Z1 is this brand's latest miniature camera for 360-degree, spherical captures. It can achieve these in a single shot at a resolution of 6720x3360, and can also be used for all-around 4K/30fps video. Furthermore, it is the first of its series with an internal storage spec of 51GB, which may overcome the limitations of previous Theta models.

The worldwide availability of the innovative "gimbal-cam" Vivo X60 smartphone series looks more certain than ever with its debut in the Indian market. This time, the Snapdragon 870-powered X60 and X60 Pro are accompanied by their true flagship sibling, the Pro Plus. It will be available to order from April 2021 for a price of just under US$1000.

Realme has made its first ever 108MP camera phone official as of March 24, 2021. The high-end sensor is joined by specs that are not nearly so new to the brand in the 8 Pro, however. Its Snapdragon 720G SoC is joined by up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, and is kept on with a 4,500mAh battery with slower charging compared to the 7 Pro.

OnePlus has officially announced its premium lineup of smartphones this year — the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro. With the 9 and 9 Pro, OnePlus is now firmly in flagship territory. The company hyped its Hasselblad partnership quite a bit, but early reviews indicate there's much more work to be done before it can fully compete with the likes of the iPhone 12 Pro Max or the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Vivo's 2021 flagships have been unleashed as the X60 and X60 Pro 5G for the Malaysian market. As rumored, the phones are based on the Snapdragon 870 SoC in this country, and not the Exynos processor they have in China. The X60 Pro is graced with a main shooter with the OEM's Gimbal Stabilization 2.0, although both variants have Zeiss branding.

The OnePlus 8T will be superseded by the new flagship 9 series soon; however, its new official public Android betas might help keep it relevant for some time to come. The latest one contains a bunch of bug-fixes, and also upgrades the phone's security patch level to March 2021. It also adds one or two features, including a time-stamp for the stock camera app.

CTL's latest Chromebook is powered by the Intel Celeron N4020 and has 4GB of RAM, as many of the OEM's devices do. However, the NL71CT-LTE also has standalone mobile data, so it need not be reliant on Wi-Fi for its often educational use-cases. This spec has helped win it one of Tech & Learning's Excellence Awards for Best Remote & Blended Learning Tools.

A previous link hinted at an upcoming Motorola phone that, despite having otherwise affordable-class specs, has a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor. Now, a new tip asserts that it will be called the Moto G60 at launch, and has some other potential advantages, not the least of which is a large 6,000mAh battery.

Xiaomi's Black Shark premium gaming brand has announced that its new, Snapdragon 888-powered flagship is to launch on March 23, 2021 in China. The 4 is slated to have improved, "360-degree, 3D" cooling, triple rear cameras and the shoulder buttons from its 3 Pro forebear. The 2 phones are also likely to have very different designs.

Motorola is now said to have a phone with the new 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor on-board. Furthermore, the device is rumored to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 732 SoC and up to 6GB of RAM, which might bring the high-end camera spec to a very affordable tier in the near future. It might launch in India soon.

Asus advertises the quad-array microphone as one of the main features of the ExpertBook, which costs upwards of 2000 Euros (~$2400). It is supposed to improve the video-conferencing experience. At the same time, Asus uses the same 720p web camera as in almost all other current laptops such as the 3000-Euro (~$3600) MacBook Pro. When most people have to use their web camera everyday to study or work from home, this has to change!

The list of Android flagship phones with the latest Snapdragon 888 SoC is slowly yet steadily growing, although not all of them are available globally. New leaks suggest the Vivo X60 Pro Plus, one such premium device launched in partnership with Zeiss, will make it to international shores soon.

Google's ARCore has added a new device called the ZenFone 8 Flip to its certification database. Therefore, it seems a new generation of Asus' innovative swivel-cam flagship Android phones is on the way. It is thought to be accompanied by a Mini variant, although that one has failed to materialize in this new leak.

Nokia is now said to have a phone that integrates a high-end 108MP sensor into its signature penta-cam design in development. However, as it is also now supposed to have a mid-range Qualcomm 5G chipset, this may suggest an upgrade for the 8.3 5G rather than an outright flagship. Then again, the upcoming device is also rumored to have a premium 120Hz display.

ZTE has already confirmed that it will launch the Axon 30 Pro 5G as its 2021 flagship Android smartphone. Its latest teaser for this device introduces a new "Trinity" tag-line, which apparently refers to its rear cameras. Therefore, they might consist of a triple array made up of identical (or very similar) high-end sensors.

Today, (March 11, 2021) OPPO has unveiled its Find X3 Pro, X3 Neo and X3 Lite, complete with European pricing. This might leave some consumers wondering where the vanilla X3 went during all this. Well, it does exist, and has the same high-end display and cameras as the Pro, but is only available to pre-order in China.

Insta360's freshly-debuted GO 2 miniature camera is a considerable upgrade over its first generation, not the least in its design and function. Its case still doubles as a battery-pack, but can now also act as a remote control and a tripod. It also has more field-of-view options and storage, as well as a new FlowState stabilization clip mode.

Recent leaks have raised the possibility that Samsung is preparing a successor to its unusual flip-camera phone, the Galaxy A80. Now, a new addition to the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG) database provides proof that this device exists. It is thus almost certain to launch soon, with 5G and other forms of high-end wireless connectivity to boot.