LG Innotek is ready to incorporate a genuine optical zoom lens in the next wave of flagship phones

LG's smartphone-making days may be over, but LG Innotek, a major supplier of mobile camera modules, is still going strong. At CES 2023, a new telephoto zoom camera module will be launched offering true optical zoom. The company is collaborating with Qualcomm to fast-track the adoption of its new technology alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on upcoming flagship Android phones.

While most other long smartphone cameras rely on image-degrading digital zoom to extend beyond their native focal length, LG's design uses moving lenses, similar to those found on traditional DSLR cameras, to maintain image detail. This camera module also employs a folded-optic design, also known as a periscope lens, to reduce overall size. The end result is a lens with a 4-9x zoom range and true optical zoom in between.

Sony is the only major manufacturer currently offering a smartphone with true optical zoom, although Oppo is also working on a similar device. The 3.5-5.2x zoom lens on Sony's Xperia 1 IV is equivalent to 85-125mm, which is far shorter than the new LG telephoto module, which may cover an equivalent range of 100mm to over 200mm. The shorter zoom range of the Xperia 1 IV limited its usefulness during my testing, and participants in MKBHD's annual blind smartphone camera test agreed that Sony's image quality lagged behind the competition.

LG's new design also includes optical stabilization, which is crucial when taking pictures at 200mm. The module moves lens elements for zooming using a tiny, highly precise actuator; the company claims it can move in increments of 1 million. LG also claims that its design will allow phone makers to include fewer total lenses on the back of their devices. Rather than including a 4x and a 9x lens, this design combines the two to save space and consume less power.