LG may have failed selling smartphones. But when building components for them, it thrives with huge successes.
For example, it's LG Display mass-produces OLED for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, along with Samsung Display. Although LG Display was late in mass-producing OLEDs for the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the company was able to get extremely close to the revised target.
In fact, LG Display is already considered one of the world's largest manufacturers and supplier of thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, OLEDs and flexible displays.
One of other LG's subsidiaries, LG Innotek, also produces components for smartphones.
And this time, the arm has revealed a periscope-style, true optical zoom camera module.
Unlike Samsung, which developed a similar camera module, also known as a "folded" lens with a four times zoom, first used in the Galaxy S20 Ultra smartphone, LG Innotek that provided its previous version of its zoom module to Sony for the Xperia 1 IV smartphone, is able to create a module with a 4-9 times telephoto range.
Traditionally, smartphones with multiple cameras use hybrid zoom setups that combine digital zoom and their multiple camera setup.
Certain zoom ranges (typically 2x, 3x, 10x, etc.) use individual cameras, whereas a digital zoom is programmed to automatically fill in between those ranges. And to make the transition appear seamless, machine-learning algorithm is used.
But still, sensor resolution and thus detail can be considerably reduced.
With the LG's camera on the other hand, the sensor is able to retain full image quality through the entire zoom range.
This is possible because it contains a zoom actuator with movable components, that can operates quickly and precisely down to the micrometer, according to LG, while saving battery life.
What's more, it also has a built-in optical image stabilizer to reduce blur, something that can be a problem for telephoto lenses that magnify hand movements.
Most of the time, camera modules on smartphones have become an eye soar.
With increasing the size of the modules, manufacturers have to either make their smartphones thicker, or make the camera setup protrude more and more.
As a result of this, some phones wobble when out on the flat table, and sometimes, the bump makes the phones hard to slip into tight pockets.
Making things worse, owners sometime put a case cover, which further increases the thickness of the phone to hold and also adds to the weight too.
LG's camera module here, is telescopic.
What this means, it can retain its ability while having a reduced camera bump.
LG also said that it has partnered with Qualcomm to bring this technology to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform.
LG Innotek, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, is an affiliate of the LG group, which creates "cutting-edge materials and components manufacturer."
The company's business units include core components for mobile, automotive, display, semiconductor, and IoT products. Furthermore, the company has cooperated closely with the mobile devices, home appliances, and automotive companies, producing camera modules, automotive electronic components, wireless communication modules, and substrate materials.
"It will enhance the image tuning custom for the optics, which includes Auto-Focus, Auto-Exposure, Auto-White Balance, lens shading correction and much more. Users will be able to focus quickly. And the photos and videos will have stunning image quality," LG said.
LG dubbed this module as the "Optical Telephoto Zoom Camera Module," and described it as a "micro-component developed for the smartphone by integrating the telescopic camera functions that were mostly applied to the professional cameras such as DSLR or mirrorless camera."
LG revealed this module, which is set for its debut on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023.