Camera

Sony has finally announced the Xperia PRO's price, and it is absurd when compared to the going-rate of modern flagship smartphones. Comparing the Xperia PRO against professional-grade camera monitors puts the smartphone in a better light, but it is still effectively just an Xperia 1 II with an HDMI input.

Scheduled to hit Europe this March with a price tag of over US$8,850, the Sony Alpha 1 features a new 50.1 MP full-frame stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor, an upgraded BIONZ XZ imaging processing engine, world's first anti-flicker shooting with both mechanical and electronic shutter, 8K video recording, and much more.

The DOOGEE S88 Pro stood out among toughphones with its 10,000mAh battery and the "robot-eye" LEDs in its rear panel. The new S88 Plus retains these, but also comes with 8GB of RAM, as opposed to 6GB in its predecessor. It also packs reverse wireless charging so as to share its giant capacity in an emergency, and has a special introductory price for its launch on AliExpress.

XDA contributors claim to have found code in the latest version of the OnePlus camera app for new features that are likely to launch alongside the upcoming 9 flagship series. They include distinctly pro-sounding abilities including Focus Peaking and Tilt-Shift. It seems the OEM is also going trendy with other features such as Moon Mode and Starburst.

The Motorola Edge S might be the first Android device to launch with the new Snapdragon 870 SoC. According to a new allegedly official poster, this event is scheduled for later in January 2021. It also seems to confirm its quad rear cameras and color options.

OPPO is rumored to have a Lite version of its Find X3 2021 flagship smartphone in the works that is in fact a re-badged Reno5 5G. This idea has been given more weight by a new photo of what a prominent leaker asserts is this device's retail box. It shows a handset with very Reno-like rear cameras, presented on top of a large charging brick.

Samsung is currently expected to launch up to 4 new foldable devices this year, 1 of which will be a next-gen Galaxy Z Flip. Fresh renders of this clamshell phone have popped up with the same main camera module as the Galaxy S21 or S21+. Should this rumor be correct, it could launch with triple rear cameras and more space for a front-facing display.

Motorola has been linked to a new series of budget phones code-named "Capri" and "Capri Plus" as of late. The latter of these - also known as the XT-2129 - has been approved for launch by the Thai regulator NBTC. It has also let its product name slip: Moto G30. Therefore, this may be a G10 replacement, although its specs speak against that idea.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra launched with a new 108MP main shooter, even though the OEM did not introduce it by name exactly during the show. However, it is apparent that it is called the ISOCELL HM3, the first of its kind to debut with nine-pixel binning and a 0.8 micron pixel size. Samsung asserts that it can enhance dynamic range, clarity and detail compared to its predecessors.

108MP is the highest resolution available to mobile devices at the moment, featuring most recently in the freshly-launched Xiaomi Mi 11. However, the respected leaker Ice Universe asserts that Samsung has new 200MP ISOCELL-line sensors ready to go "soon". Therefore, OEMs may aim to include this tech in their flagships in the course of 2021.

Mac Otakara is quick on the draw in 2021 with its Apple rumors. The latest concerns the next generation of iPhones and how they will look. These devices will apparently still have a notch, although it will shrink somewhat in this new generation. They may also turn out not to be as slim as the 12 series, although this might well be no bad thing.

Recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau made a public commitment to improved cameras in the upcoming 9 flagship series, thereby fanning rumors that these phones would launch with Huawei-esque Leica co-branding. However, a reliable tipster now seeks to quash this idea, claiming the original leak behind it is false.

The Honor V40 series of flagship smartphones was allegedly to debut on January 4, 2020. However, the OEM has obviously missed this date, and has instead now apparently set it to the 18th of this month instead. The devices may feature waterfall-style screens at this event - not to mention the Kirin 9000 SoC after all.

Motorola is now said to have a second-gen Moto G Stylus in the works. All of its previous leaks have pointed to a chassis for this phablet with quad rear cameras in a vertical orientation. A new tip from OnLeaks contradicts this, however, although it leaves its putative updated screen intact.

OPPO has adopted a complicated approach to releasing its Reno smartphone series worldwide. The devices might have different SoCs for different markets, for example. However, there is now evidence that the well-spec’d new generation recently launched in China will make it into other countries unmodified.

2020 will go down as one of the worst years in history and that's a sentiment that should also be echoed by keen lovers of the smartphone world. Starting with the underwhelming Galaxy S20 Ultra, to the Galaxy Note 20 with its plastic back, down to the trend of selling phones without a charger—2020 sure dropped the ball.

Motorola has been busy teasing an upcoming premium phone with an SoC from the Snapdragon 800 series. It may have surfaced in a new set of benchmarking results that might confirm which processor this is to be for the first time. This leak also points to 8GB of RAM and Android 11 out of the box for this device.

Vivo has made the X60 series official. They are the first phones to rock the Exynos 1080 SoC, and also have up to quad rear cameras with Zeiss branding. They start at ~US$536 for an 8GB RAM/128GB internal storage SKU. However, the OEM has also complicated things with the announcement of an additional Pro+ to debut in 2021.

Although in many scenarios the main camera of the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro delivers at least good results, disaster often strikes when facing various light sources such as the sun and the moon, but not limited to them. In these cases, the results include reflections and artifacts that simply ruin the photos or videos.

The Galaxy A71 is a Samsung phone with 4G/LTE and 5G variants. Recent rumors suggest that its successor will get the same. The tipster OnLeaks has also posted renders for at least one of them that hint at 4 rear cameras and a 6.7-inch display.

The Vivo X60 series of smartphones will launch on December 28, 2020 - also known as tomorrow. However, its specs may have been spilled ahead of this event. The leaker Digital Chat Station claims to have dug them up on the TENAA website.

The reliable leaks site Winfuture.de has published a new post which apparently contains every last detail on the Galaxy S21 offerings for the European market. This includes the pricing structure for these sub-Ultra variants, starting at about US$1040 for the base model.

ZTE has launched the Axon 20 5G via its global site, albeit to a selection of countries. It is priced at US$449 for an 8GB/128GB SKU. However, buying it involves a certain hoop to jump through that may be aggravatingly familiar to OG OnePlus fans.

The OnePlus 9 series is expected to launch with triple to quad rear cameras in its higher-end variants. Now, a new tip suggests that these sensors will also be enhanced with Leica technology. This will represent a new brand-partnership for the OEM that could lead to coveted critical acclaim in the area of mobile photography.

The innovative features coming with the 2021 Galaxy smartphones are supposed to make the upcoming devices the most desirable upgrades in quite a while. Some of these features include outstanding video capabilities, improved AI integration, ultra-wideband compatibility, and even S Pen support for devices other than the galaxy Note. Samsung also plans to introduce more affordable foldables.

High-end processor? Check. 50MP main camera? Check. HDR10+ display? Check. Electrochromic back?...Maybe. A new OPPO phone that is almost certainly the impending Reno5 Pro+ has appeared on TENAA, Geekbench and the HDR certification website, seeming to confirm the device's best rumored attributes in the process.

Vivo has announced that the X60 and X60 Pro smartphones will be unveiled later in December 2020. These devices will be powered by SoCs provided by Samsung, and have cameras augmented by Zeiss technology. The OEM will also hold a conference that outlines the latter prior to its new hardware launch.

Images of what might be OPPO's 2021 flaghip smartphone have emerged online. These initial renders of the "Find X3 Pro" are strongly reminiscent of an iPhone from the back, even though it might have 4 rear cameras rather than 3. The images also show the OEM might go with a single punch-hole camera again.

Nokia is now believed to be working on a phone called the 4.3. It may have shown up in renders showing a design much like its possible predecessor, albeit updated and with a USB type C port this time. Meanwhile, another upcoming device from this brand has been confirmed by a Google database update.

Recent convincing leaks have pointed to the imminent launch of Reno5 and 5 Pro smartphones with mid-range to premium mid-range specs and 5G SoCs. Now, new leaks indicate that OPPO will be introducing 5 Pro+ and 4G variants alongside them. The former is also rumored to debut a new Sony 50MP camera, and more besides.

A YouTuber called sakitech has posted images that appear to portray real-life production models of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus and Ultra variants. At first glance, the latter seems to have the 5 apertures for rear cameras hinted at in earlier leaks. However, this new photo points to one being a laser auto-focus module instead.

The latest patent that surfaced online suggests that OPPO aims to take the modular phone concept one step further in the camera department. Thanks to this design, the user could even place the camera module a few feet away and use the handset as a remote, apart from being able to use the module for selfies and usual photos.

Samsung has launched foldable smartphones that bend into clamshell or book shapes to date. However, its latest patents suggest that these almost-familiar form-factors are to become obsolete quite soon. They hint at new kinds of Galaxy Z Folds and Z Flips with at least 2 hinges each.

GoPro has posted "record-breaking" sales on its website due to its Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2020 event. The OEM also now increased the number of its subscribers to over 670,000, compared to about 500,000 at last count. The latest holiday period has also helped the company to an important milestone.

The Axon 20 5G was the first ever phone to launch with an under-display selfie camera. However, its maker ZTE has never made it available outside China. This will change, though, on December 21, 2020, when the OEM releases it to certain additional markets.

Zhiyun's Cinepeer C11 gimbal is an accessory with 3-axis stabilization and features such as object-tracking and motion-lapse features. It is also a 4000mAh power bank, thus allowing the user to keep recording for longer. It is currently 44% off its normal US$89 price for Black Friday.

Huawei often markets its flagship mobile devices as having cutting-edge camera technology. A new report suggests it has yet another supposedly ground-breaking spec in the works for their successors. This is a liquid lens, an adaptation directed at improved auto-focus in the sensor behind it.

The first few OPPO Reno-series phones had some of the most innovative pop-up front-facing cameras out there, as they rose from the top of the phone in a wedge. Now, it seems the OEM has taken this idea even further with a new, semi-circular module. Like others of its kind, it leaves the device in its schematics with an edge-to-edge screen.

The rumor mill is already working through reports on OnePlus' next-gen flagship smartphones. One of them is thought to be called the 9, and is linked to renders showing triple rear cameras, two of which are much larger than the third. A new leak asserts that they are both to be 48MP in resolution, although they both have different functions.

The FX6 is Sony's latest professional cine-grade camera. Despite this designation, not to mention its full array of controls, E-lens mount and top handle, it is rated to be relatively light and compact. Nevertheless, it also still packs tech and features from the OEM's Cinema Line and mirrorless alpha-series cameras.

LG is projected to launch phones called the Q63 and Q83 in 2021. Now, a new leak points to a design for one or both of these devices that seriously bucks the square-cam trend. It seems the OEM has crafted triangle-shaped housings instead, that encompass a large main sensor and up to 3 more.

A leak pointing to a new Samsung smartphone battery with a 5830mAh battery may also imply the imminent launch of a device called the Galaxy M42. This putative phone is rumored to have a 64MP primary camera, and may be available in India soon.

The Samsung Galaxy M12 may be an interesting budget phone on its launch, especially if it comes with the 7,000mAh battery apparently destined for it. A new leak purports to show what it looks like from all angles, including an Infinity-V display and square module for its quad rear cameras.

Although previous rumors revealed the existence of two telephoto cameras, the latest Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra leak also uncovers their technical details. According to the popular leakster Ice universe, this optical zoom duo consists of two 10 MP cameras with a pixel size of 1.22 microns, of which one sports 3x zoom, and the other has a 10x magnification factor.

A tech blog claims to have learned from "exclusive" sources that Samsung is working on a next-gen budget Galaxy M-series phone with a battery rated for an impressive 7000mAh in capacity. This "M12" is also apparently destined for a 6.7-inch display with a punch-hole selfie camera. These claims may be backed up by new images of a rear panel for this putative device.

Word on the street is that the smartphone featuring the new wrap-around display would be part of the Galaxy Z series and could be launched soon in response to Xiaomi's commercial version for the Mi Mix Alpha. The upcoming Samsung phone would also come with sliding rear camera setup, in-display selfie cam and fingerprint sensor, wireless charging and no physical buttons, plus a host of new UI functions that make use of the expanded screen real estate.

Sony has announced the creation of the Airpeak brand, which is to be applied to a new series of drones developed by this OEM. However, it seems these devices are to be pitched at professional content creators and enterprise customers rather than take on products like the DJI Mavic series. Their first examples may be launched in the spring of 2021.

Nokia has just completed its latest product unveiling, and it's a new version of the 8.3 5G. This smartphone is a variant optimized for the Verizon network in the United States. To this end, it has much the same specs as the original mid-ranger on which it is based, but also has 3 "powerful" antennae for its carrier's mmWave 5G.

GoPro has released its first quarterly financial report since the launch of its 2020 flagship, the HERO9 Black action-camera. It has revealed that the company now has a figure for total revenues that is over 100% what it was for the same quarter of 2019 (3Q2019). It also now has 35% more subscribers compared to 2Q2020, as well as a net profit for its latest quarter.