Oppo has a smartphone with a retractable camera

Nowadays, the blocks of cameras have become a point of distinction for smartphones rather than a simple functional element of design.The design of a mobile camera is defined and limited by the sensors and objectives it contains, which often results in voluminous constructions that exceed the smartphone chassis.

Which, in turn, gives the smartphone an irregular rear shell that poses certain use problems.While the work continues to reduce these material components, Oppo presents an interesting solution which allows at least one of these large cameras to enter and leave the case as a camera from the 90s.

The size of the sensor and the objectives are the two main elements that influence the size of the smartphone's camera modules.If the sensor surface often increases (width and length), the lenses used also determine the thickness of the camera bump.This is particularly true for telephoto lens cameras or those with optical zoom capacities, because the number of lenses is significantly higher than that of a traditional wide camera.

The recent innovations in camera technologies for smartphones have given birth to what is now called the telephoto telephoto, which deploys its lentils horizontally rather than vertically, hence its name.But that may not be enough, especially since it strongly limits the scope of the camera.Oppo's solution seems to completely eliminate periscopes and implement a telescopic mechanism instead.

Excellent news for our smartphones!

Indeed, the manufacturer of Chinese smartphones Oppo has published a short video showing a smartphone with a retractable camera that can move forward and rear, perhaps to offer optical zoom capacities without needing'A second camera goal.

This is not the first time that we have seen an optical zoom on a smartphone, but the version of Oppo seems to stand out in several respects.

First of all, it is much more compact than certain older solutions, such as the massive optical zoom system of the old smartphones of the Samsung Galaxy Zoom series.Second, the 15 -second teasing video of OPPO seems to indicate that its new retractable camera can be used on waterproof smartphones.And thirdly, it seems that the camera will retract automatically if the smartphone is in free fall, helping to protect the goal from the damage if you drop the smartphone.

On the side of the camera, you can also see a little more information.It has an image sensor of 1/1.58 inch, an f/2.4 opening and a focal length equivalent to 50 mm (although it can be adjustable).

This unique design resolves at least two things.The most obvious is that manufacturers can offer better mobile telephoto lens capacities without increasing the size of the smartphone's camera block or using a lot of space inside the chassis.The other significant advantage is that manufacturers can use the same sensor for the main photo sensor and the telephoto lens without compromising quality.

A presentation on December 14

But, that's about everything we know about this short teasing video.We do not yet know if and when you can buy a smartphone equipped with this camera.However, more information should be available soon - the new camera is one of the things that Oppo plans to present at the Innov Day event on December 14, 2021.

Oppo may not be the only smartphone manufacturer to want to give a new test to retractable cameras.The Rival Xiaomi also recently presented its own telescopic/retractable smartphone camera solution.