LG's imagined smartphone camera ‘could' turn out to be a trendsetter

A newly filed patent reveals LG’s efforts to make a smartphone camera with 16 lenses, tells LetsGoDigital.

The 16 lenses will be arranged in a 4x4 matrix layout at the back of the smartphone. Many camera lenses are intended to take multiple perspectives in a single shot, notes the patent. “The technology will allow the capture of moving 3D pictures, and will also make it easier to replace objects in photos due to the additional data taken with each shot.”

The imagined camera system will be able to use the different datasets from the different lenses to cut out things from the image. LG’s patent also describes combining the different camera angles to create a miniature film – like a super-powered version of things like Apple’s Live Photos or Lytro’s adjustable light field images.

Also uniquely, LG is looking to place a mirror at the bottom of the 16 lenses to allow users to take selfies. This could even suggest that the mobile phone maker will skip incorporating the front camera, possibly in favor of an edge-to-edge display without a notch.

Realizing a product with this technology, however, isn’t going to be easy for LG. It just remains to be seen if the device maker will be able to launch a product by overcoming various design and engineering challenges that are sure to occur.