Taiwan-based Asia Optical has developed a true optical 5x zoom designed for use in smartphones, and it could be making it available as soon as next year. The zoom lens consists of an aspherical glass piece and four plastic components; and will be heading for certification by the end of 2017.
The lens was developed in collaboration with software developer Corephotonics, who recently got into a row with Apple over camera technology. Asia Optical chairman Richard Lai has said that production for mass shipments to Chinese smartphone brands will commence sometime in third quarter of 2018; products should be appearing on store shelves following the shipment.
This is not the first time an optical zoom technology for smartphones has been demonstrated – OPPO did it first during a demo at MWC 2017. Interestingly enough the zoom technology also uses five lenses, and developed by Corephotonics.
(Source: Digitimes )
