During its Future Lens 2023 event in Shanghai, Android smartphone company TECNO unveiled two new technologies, an adjustable physical aperture and a liquid telephoto macro lens.

Although not all the new announcements made by smartphones companies make it to real smartphones in the market, there is no doubt some of those promising technologies confirm that most development now is happening on small smart devices. We may still be waiting for things like the 85-200mm continuous zoom from Oppo, a 2021 promise, but there is no doubt investment in research is moving when it comes to cameras in smartphones. TECNO may not be a popular name for most people, but the company is doing its share of innovation, and some of its suggestions and promises have been featured before.

Recently, we revealed here at ProVideo Coalition TECNO’s Universal Tone, which promises to deliver a more inclusive smartphone imaging experience… no matter the colour of your skin, going further than Google’s Real Tone when it comes to the reproduction of skin tones. The company shared that same technology now, at its Future Lens 2023 event in Shanghai,  as it unveiled two other cutting-edge technologies that aim to solve some of the problems of the small cameras used in smartphones.

During the event, TECNO previewed and showcased its three newest imaging technologies for the coming year: a game-changing W-shaped Adjustable Physical Aperture; an industry-first Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens; and the already revealed here at PVC AI-powered Universal Tone multi-skin tone imaging solution. Future Lens 2023 also featured engaging keynote speeches and a panel discussion with leading voices from TECNO, Sony, and Amateur Photographer, underscoring the value of the event as a platform for sharing views and experiences from across the world of imaging.

Solving smartphone imaging problems

With the three new technologies, TECNO solves, the company says, “major smartphone imaging problems – using bionic vision to optimize light and shadow, using technological innovation to present the fusion of multi-camera forms and the beauty of mobile phone lenses, and delivering inclusive multi-skin imaging technology that can lead the future revolution of smartphone imaging.”

Smartphone lenses have fixed apertures and the few exceptions – in modern smartphones from Sony, Xiaomi and Huawei – are limited in terms of variation, going from f/1.4 or less to f/4. Sometimes it feels more like marketing than something useful, especially if you’re coming from a conventional camera and lens, which can go from f/1.2 all the way to f/32 or more.

TECNO’s approach is different, though, as it uses a… “W-shaped Adjustable Physical Aperture”, which is used to create harmony in harsh backlight. The company says that “ the industry has consistently prioritized addressing challenges posed by backlit scenarios. TECNO has developed a solution using bionic vision to address the challenges caused by strong backlight for traditional smartphone cameras with fixed apertures.”

According to TECNO, “the new W-shaped Adjustable Physical Aperture technology means users no longer need to compromise or choose between detailed subjects and beautiful backgrounds. This patented technology allows users to manually adjust the camera’s aperture, precisely managing light and eliminating harsh glare for a balanced shot. This groundbreaking innovation ensures TECNO smartphone cameras can easily handle challenging lighting conditions, delivering stunning images no matter what.”

A Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens for smartphones

If this is true, then we can expect to see soon “TECNO smartphone cameras” that can “easily handle challenging lighting conditions, delivering stunning images no matter what” arrive to the market. If, as TECNO said during the Future Lens 2023 event, its three newest imaging technologies are for the coming year, can we reasonably expect to see them in their next smartphones? If so, please sign me in to get a review copy to test…

The second technology revealed during the event was an industry-first, a “Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens” for smartphones. Liquid lenses are not exactly new, although, as far as I know, they never made it to the lenses we carry in our photo bags. Back in 2011 Olympus announced the company was working in a “liquid lens”, and so were companies like Sony and Samsung, but no product from those companies ever reached the photography market. For those who have forgotten it, in 2011 Samsung was a camera maker company, having signed an agreement with Pentax, back in 2005, to build DSLRS, which has, then, a rapidly-growing  and profitable market…

Liquid lenses are already used in demanding industrial applications that require robust, accurate, fast, and long-lasting lenses. One example is the Corning Varioptic Lenses, which rely on the electrowetting principle where the interface of two liquids is modified when a voltage is applied. This eliminates moving parts, bringing a unique competitive advantage to the market, and enabling fast focus.

Corning, a name you may know from the Corning Gorilla Glass on your smartphone, is the company behind some of the innovations in the area. Although not related to photography, there is an interesting document from the company published in May 2023, “Liquid Lenses open new perspectives for Microscopy”, which describes how the use of liquid lenses can greatly improve the imaging capabilities of microscopy devices while overcoming the limitations of bulk, cost, and robustness of traditional systems.

Sony, TECNO and the joy of smartphone imaging

Back to TECNO and the new Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens,  the company says that its “liquid lens technology in smartphone cameras delivers benefits to photographers such as improved focus speed and agile zooming”. However, TECNO’s revolutionary new Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens is the first application of the technology in a smartphone periscope telephoto camera.

According to TECNO, for a traditional periscope telephoto lens to achieve 5cm macro focusing, the motor drive needs to be increased, meaning the overall length of the module is also increased, which makes it challenging to achieve a slim and lightweight design for the entire device. These traditional lenses are divided into two sections, and one common solution is to drive one section with a motor to achieve 5cm macro shots. However, this approach has a low yield and is expensive. Another alternative for achieving macro shots with a longer focal length is the internal focusing solution. TECNO’s Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens takes a different approach, utilizing voltage to adjust the lens curvature. This innovative method allows TECNO’s smartphone camera to maintain a compact form factor while dynamically adapting the lens curvature in real-time. As a result, it captures even the minutest details with precision, thanks to the integration of a large sensor.

TECNO Future Lens 2023 provided a valuable platform for engagement, third-party industry expertise, media interaction and more. In addition to learning about TECNO’s three cutting-edge new technologies, three expert speakers also took part in a captivating panel discussion, sharing insights from both consumer and forward-thinking perspectives on the continuous evolution of mobile imaging.

The  Director of Sony Semiconductor Solutions (Shanghai), Jun Zhang, spoke on how Sony was continually advancing image sensor technologies, and the value of collaboration with smartphone manufacturers. He said, “Our image sensors must be closely coordinated with the smartphone manufacturer to achieve the best results. Only through communication with the engineers at the handset manufacturers can Sony develop better image sensors. Therefore, we are very much looking forward to further cooperation with TECNO in the future and will work together to bring the joy of mobile imaging to more consumers around the world.”

Nigel Atherton, Editor-in-Chief of Amateur Photographer, a renowned  photography platform in the UK, explored the challenges faced by smartphone users when taking photos, and how the increasing capabilities of smartphone camera technologies, especially TECNO’s latest innovations, are bringing greater value to imaging.