The Future Lens 2023 Event in Shanghai marked a significant milestone for TECNO as they unveiled 3 cutting-edge technologies in smartphone photography, including W-shaped Variable Aperture, Liquid Telephoto Macro lens, and Universal Tone for human skins. The combination of these advances not only aims to improve the image quality of a single lens but also has the potential to revolutionize the bloated capture experience of smartphone image systems.
Tecno is probably the most special industry leader among Chinese smartphone brands. Its legacy began with the myths it created in Africa, and has been continuing in the past few years, bringing more affordable hardware and software innovations to the global market for wider users.
As someone still keeping an eye on the mobile industry, I’ve realized that some sort of ‘keep on innovating’ is more of a marketing slogan among brands. But The future lens event showed me that Tecno is still on this path, investing in tech innovation about mobile photography. These new technologies make me even more excited to see what Tecno has in store for mobile photography in 2024.
Revolutionary W-Shaped Adjustable Aperture:
This patented technology is a game-changer in managing challenging lighting conditions. It uses the W shape of a cuttlefish’s eye as a template, shifting in aperture size to work better in various lit environments. By allowing manual adjustment of the aperture, it empowers photographers to handle backlight situations with ease, resulting in images that are not just clearer, but also richer in detail and color. This innovation reflects TECNO’s commitment to solving real-world photography problems.
As the first new technologies to be revealed at this event, it did impress me. What I’m surprised about is that the particular bionic shape doesn’t have any precedent for application within the industry. It’s even more of a bold attempt in the human industrial history of visual capture. Prior research has shown that the W-shape helps them to balance out the uneven light levels in their habitat. Cuttlefish live in shallow water with a lot of light at the top of their vision, but it gets dimmer quickly further down.
As a result, they need to deal with a fairly wide range of light intensities at the same time. The combination of horizontal and vertical oriented slits in the pupil brings an overall more even level of illumination across the retina, reducing the contrast between the brightest and darkest parts of the scene.
More research is already underway, and something like the new bionic ROBOT could be the best vehicle for this. But soon, you may be able to experience the accurate capture of complex lighting on Tecno phones with the bionic variable aperture.
Liquid Telephoto Macro Lens – A Compact Tech:
TECNO’s liquid telephoto macro lens combines the power of telephoto and macro lenses in a compact form. This breakthrough uses voltage to alter the lens’s curvature, enabling stunning close-up shots with incredible detail. It’s a significant step forward in making professional-grade photography accessible on a smartphone without compromising on design aesthetics.
Telephoto lenses on phones are caught in a lens structure that makes it difficult to focus on subjects at close range. But we have also seen some phones (e.g. Xiaomi 11) had their lenses especially enable macro shooting with telephoto lenses, while the focus range was limited to a narrow range (e.g. 3-7cm). As a result, the telephoto lens was only for macro shooting but not for distant scenes.
Liquid lenses are similar to the human eye – well, another bionic application. They can “see close (macro)” and “see far”, but with the solid focal length (angle of view). The transparent fluid wrapped in the film is modeled as the lens, and the voltage motor that controls the fluid curvature is similar to the ciliary muscle of the human eye.
It’s not the first time this technology has appeared in the smartphone industry, but it’s a shame that its precedent hasn’t caught on. I’m still very much looking forward to seeing if Tecno can bring Liquid Lens up to the next level with excellent user experience.
Universal Tone Technology
With the Universal Tone Technology, TECNO is setting new standards in photographic inclusivity. This technology, developed through extensive research, uses AI to accurately render a wide spectrum of skin tones in photographs. It ensures that every portrait is vibrant and true to the subject, a testament to TECNO’s dedication to celebrating diversity through technological excellence.
It’s a shame that we only see a relatively uniform standard of skinning beauty on most phone brands. So in that respect, it seems like Tecno is doing a great thing: every shade of skin tone from every corner of the planet can get compliments and affirmation (which, even though, just came from a phone’s camera system), rather than get simply and brutally told what’s ‘right’ for your skin’s aesthetics.
The keynotes and panel discussions at the event underscored the broader implications of these technologies. Industry experts shared insights on how TECNO’s innovations are poised to transform the landscape of mobile photography, setting new benchmarks for what smartphones can achieve in image capturing and processing.
Mr. Jun Zhang, Director of Sony Semiconductor Solutions (Shanghai), was invited to give a speech on how Sony was continually advancing image sensor technologies, and the value of collaboration with Tecno. 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.”
Addressing TECNO’s ongoing commitment to putting developing products that meet users’ needs, Director of TECNO’s Image R&D Center, Mr. Xiaohan Huang said: “TECNO’s commitment to user-centric innovation lies at the heart of our technological endeavors. Through relentless dedication to independent research and development, we have consistently pushed the boundaries of imaging technology. Learning from industry leaders, we strive to revolutionize the consumer experience by delivering cutting-edge solutions. TECNO remains steadfast in its pursuit to enhance and redefine the way users engage with technology. The future holds exciting possibilities, and we are poised to continue our unwavering efforts in this journey.”
TECNO’s advancements showcased at Future Lens 2023 are a clear indication of the company’s pursuit of leading mobile photography. While we don’t have clear information yet on when these technologies will be applied and integrated debut on which Tecno products. But sources are suggesting that Tecno will launch a new product in spring 2024 (likely to be at MWC in Feb 2024), where we may have a chance to get a glimpse of how these technologies work with an actual phone.
