Oppo Reveals New Camera Technology Coming To Phone Brand

Oppo on Thursday revealed its latest smartphone photography advancements with Continuous Optical Zoom, a next-gen under-display camera that it will integrate into its devices later this year.

The 2021 OPPO Future Imaging Technology Launch Event was led by Oppo's Director of Imaging Simon Liu. The event introduced a new sensor, a variable zoom lens, a new lens and sensor stabilization and an improved algorithm to control the pixels over next-gen under-display cameras.

The most interesting bit is perhaps the 5-axis optical image stabilization, which uses both lens shifting and sensor shifting for maximum effect — apparently three times the angle than that of conventional optical stabilization, according to Oppo.

The new feature is expected to allow for faster capture and better low-light performance, even when handheld.

Image Credit: Oppo

The camera lens is driven by ball-bearing motors, serves as the primary stabilization tool for light vibrations and for bigger movements, both the lens and sensor kick in to achieve 5-axis stabilization, with the latter's shifting and rotation controlled by shape memory alloys.

Image Credit: Oppo

Oppo admitted that incorporating extra moving parts means increasing the number of potential failure points, so it will continue to conduct various drop tests and reliability tests before beginning mass production. The company is targeting Q1 2022 to launch its first phone equipped with this feature.

In addition to its 5-axis optical stabilization tech, Oppo teased its next-gen RGBW sensor, which the company claims can take in 60 percent more light and achieve a 35 percent reduction in noise. This will arrive in an unspecified Oppo phone sometime in Q4 of this year. The company is also working on an 85-200mm continuous optical zoom module to offer greater flexibility. It's unclear when exactly that might become commercially available.