According to HC news, the liquid lens may be the next black technology in smartphone cameras. But it may remain unknown if not used in flagship models. Moreover, this technology should appear on smartphones that are known for good camera performance. When talking about the latter, the Huawei P and Mate series handsets come to mind. In this sense, the upcoming Huawei P50 series may be the first to adopt this technology.
Recently, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) approved an important camera module patent related to the liquid lenses. This patent was submitted by Huawei on December 25, 2019, and approved on April 7, 2020. According to this information, the patent includes mobile motors, camera placeholders, and electronic hardware for moving liquid lenses.
The imaging system of the liquid lens can change the focal plane within a few milliseconds to provide a clear image, regardless of the distance of the object from the camera. This makes the integrated liquid lens an ideal choice for shooting scenarios that require focusing at multiple distances. The moving hardware includes a stator and a moving part that moves along the optical axis. When the moving part receives power from the electric motor, it acts and presses or pulls the liquid lens through the connected spring.
The liquid lens has fast autofocus and depth detection functions, which can provide better image stabilization and eliminate the requirements for time-of-flight (ToF) sensors and additional image stabilization hardware. And more importantly, the liquid lens takes up very little space.
Huawei is one of the best smartphone manufacturers on the market and currently uses leading camera technology. The CMOS sensor in the P40 series can capture bright images under low-light conditions. And we think that the next-generation P50 will be more powerful in taking pictures.