LG Innotek is ready to put true optical zoom lenses in the next wave of flagship phones

A major supplier of mobile camera modules is still alive and well, even though the days of making phones are over. The new telephoto zoom camera module will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show. The company is working with Qualcomm to fast-track the adoption of its new technology in upcoming flagship phones.

While most other long smartphone cameras use image-quality-degrading digital zoom to reach beyond their native focal length, the design of LG's is similar to a traditional DSLR camera lens. A periscope lens is used in the camera module to keep the size down. There is a true optical zoom in between the 4-9x range.

Sony is the only major manufacturer to offer a phone with true optical zoom, though Oppo is also working on one. The 3.5-5.2x lens on Sony's Xperia 1 IV is equivalent to 125 to 125mm, which is a bit shorter than the new telephoto module shown by the company. The shorter zoom range on the Xperia 1 IV limited that zoom lens' usefulness quite a bit in my testing, and participants in the annual blind smartphone camera test agreed thatSony's image quality is just behind the competition.

If you want to take pictures at 200mm, you need optical stabilization in your camera. The company says the module can move in 1m. The design of the phone would allow for less total lens on the device. The design combines a 4x and a 9x lens to take up less space and use less power.

The camera module will help the company solidify its position in the market. Thanks to Apple, it is in a strong position. A folded-optic telephoto lens is rumored to be included in the next iteration of the Apple device, but it is unlikely to be included in the model that will be released later this year.