LG’s smartphone-making days could also be over, however LG Innotek — a serious provider of cellular digicam modules — is alive and effectively. It’s introducing a new telephoto zoom camera module at CES 2023, providing true, steady optical zoom. The firm is partnering with Qualcomm to fast-track adoption of its new tech alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in upcoming flagship Android telephones.

While most different lengthy smartphone cameras use image-quality-degrading digital zoom to succeed in past their native focal size, LG’s design makes use of shifting lenses — very similar to a conventional DSLR digicam lens — which preserves picture element. This digicam module additionally makes use of a folded-optic design, additionally known as a periscope lens, maintaining the general measurement down. The result’s a lens that covers a 4-9x vary, with true optical zoom in between.

This new design from LG additionally contains optical stabilization, which is a must have for those who’re making an attempt to take photos at 200mm. The module makes use of a tiny, extraordinarily exact actuator to maneuver lens components for zooming; the corporate says it may possibly transfer in increments of 1μm. LG additionally factors out that its design would permit telephone producers to incorporate fewer whole lenses on the again of their units. Rather than together with a 4x and a 9x lens, this design combines the 2 to take up much less area and scale back energy consumption.

LG Innotek is making no small deal about its new tech: its press launch says the digicam module will assist the corporate “solidify the global No. 1 position in the smartphone camera module market.” It’s already in a robust place, thanks largely to its biggest customer: Apple. The iPhone 15 is rumored to include a folded-optic telephoto lens, and whereas it’s unlikely to incorporate this specific mannequin, LG appears to be like prefer it’s wanting to get its digicam tech into a variety of 2023 flagship telephones.