Tag Archives: camera

Technology

Galaxy S21 Ultra triumphs with a very narrow win in our blind camera comparison

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The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the latest and greatest phone to come out of Samsung’s conveyor belt. We’ve already compared its main and selfie cameras against the venerable Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the Google Pixel 5. You can check out the comparisons right below to check out for yourselves, but the consensus is that the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a welcome improvement over last year’s Galaxy S20 series and stacks very well against its top competitors.
But what is your take on the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s camera prowess? Can you spot which of the photos below have been taken on Samsung’s new pride and glory? We’ve taken some pictures with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, Note 20 Ultra, Pixel 5, and iPhone 12 Pro Max in a variety of lighting scenarios. All the pictures in the galleries can be zoomed and inspected to your desire, but rest assured that no EXIF data is present, so playing dirty won’t yield you any gains here.
IMPORTANT: This article will be updated with the results on February 15.

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Scene 1: Playground

It seems that the iPhone has won your hearts in our first scene, leaving Android’s finest behind.

Scene 2: 3X zoom

When it comes to zooming, the Galaxy S21 Ultra crushes the competition and wins with an overwhelming vote.

Scene 3: Rainbow girl

This one is a toss up between the iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Pixel 5. And rightly so, as both photos look great!

Scene 4: Sunset

This beautiful sunset scene goes to the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but the rest of the phones have done a mighty fine job and share the remaining votes quite evenly.

Scene 5: Storefront

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra has done a commendable job in this particular scene, beating the iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Scene 6: Toy

I was certain the Pixel 5 will win this one as it captured an excellent photo. There’s no way of you knowing that, but it also got the colors just right, unlike its competitors. Great job, folks.

Scene 7: Night mode #1

Surprisingly to me, the Note 20 Ultra overwhelmingly gets this round. Personally, my preferences are in Galaxy S21 Ultra’s favor, but vox populi, vox dei.

Scene 8: Night mode #2

Android’s finest steal this round from the iPhone, and you seem to like the Galaxy S21 Ultra the most in this specific scenario. Personally, I’d go with the Pixel 5, but both photos are excellent.

Scene 9: Night mode #3

When the scene is better lit and tons of artificial light is involved, the iPhone does a much, much better job. This seems to be the general consensus here.

Scene 10: Selfie

Once again, despite people liking more realistic selfies, the iPhone’s slightly warmer and more vivid auto-portraits win the popular vote.

Final results

To sum it up:

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra – 27.6%

Google Pixel 5 – 25.1%

Samsung Note 20 Ultra – 24%

Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max – 23.3%That’s a pretty close win by the new Galaxy S21 Ultra, but it’s worth noting that all votes are quite even and spread evenly among the phones we’ve tested in this here blind comparison. There’s a pretty logical reason explanation: all phones we’ve tested have great cameras and are unlikely to disappoint you. Of course, as evident by the results, some perform more appealing to most people in specific situations, but overall, any of these devices will be an admirable photography sidekick.

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Technology

OnePlus could be working on a phone with a selfie camera inside the bezel

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Credit: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority

  • OnePlus has patented a way of tucking away the selfie camera in the bezel of a phone.
  • The company noted in a 23-page patent application that such a device will feature a high screen-to-body ratio.
  • It could be OnePlus’ latest attempt at making an interruption-free smartphone display.

OnePlus could be working on a way to eliminate punch-hole cutouts or notches on its smartphones, and no, we’re not talking about putting in a pop-up mechanism. Instead, the company seems to be working on a “display apparatus” that fits the selfie shooter within the thin bezels of a phone.

Folks over at LetsGoDigital spotted a patent document filed by OnePlus with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). The 23-page documentation describes a OnePlus phone with an OLED display. A hole for the selfie camera is made on the top bezel covered with a “transparent cover plate.”

The patent application describes this display apparatus as having a “high screen-to-body ratio, low production cost, high yield, and high product reliability.”

While under-display selfie cameras are where the industry is headed next, the technology is not quite ready to take off just yet. ZTE’s Axon 20 5G is a prime example of how reliable under-display cameras might still be a while away. Our readers are also of vary of buying early under-display camera phones.

Meanwhile, OnePlus’ patented solution seems like an effective way of creating an interruption-free display. However, since it’s just that, a patent, we’re unsure if the company is serious about commercializing the design. We’re certain that we won’t see anything like this on the OnePlus 9 series, given that leaked renders already show a punch-hole on the screen.

For now, all eyes are on OnePlus’ alleged tie-up with Hasselblad for its upcoming flagships. Whether or not this new selfie camera placement is on top of OnePlus’ priority list is anybody’s guess.

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Technology

Google Fit measures heart, respiratory rate w/ phone camera

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Google Health encompasses the various teams at Google working on helping people “live their healthiest life.” The latest effort lets you measure your heart and respiratory rate using the Google Fit app and cameras on an Android phone.

To measure the number of breaths you take per minute, Google Fit is using your Android device’s front-facing camera. The phone needs to be leaned on a “stable surface so that you can comfortably see yourself from the waist up.” It needs to have a clear, unobstructed view of your head and upper torso.  

Users are then taken to a fullscreen UI with a live feed marking your face and chest, while instructions above tell you to breathe normally and “Hold still” as a circular indicator notes progress. Once complete, “Your results” appear on the next screen, with the recently revamped Google Fit Home feed featuring a new card that shows average RPM over the course of the past week. A ‘plus’ button in the top-right corner lets you start another session. 

Google is measuring your respiratory rate by detecting small changes on your chest. The company touts advances in computer vision that make it possible to “track tiny physical signals at the pixel level.”

Meanwhile, measuring heart rate involves placing your finger on the rear-facing camera lens and applying light pressure. Flash is not needed, but it can be enabled to increase accuracy in dark environments. Once complete, users have to manually decide whether to save the vitals to Fit. Both these measurements take 30 seconds, with users advised to wait a few minutes after doing anything active. Neither requires an internet connection to work.

Google is tracking the “subtle changes in the color of your fingers” to approximate blood flow. The heart rate algorithms account for lighting, skin tone, age, and other factors. The Fit app explicitly tells users that:

“These results are not intended for medical purposes and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition.”

That said, Google imagines Fit’s camera-backed measurements as a useful way to “track and improve day-to-day wellness.” The company has completed initial clinical studies to validate these features. It will start rolling out next month to Pixel owners that have the Fit app installed. Google plans to bring these capabilities to other Android devices in the future.

The announcement comes ahead of a Google Health event — appropriately named “The Checkup” — that starts in an hour. This Google Fit camera measuring feature is one of the group’s most significant consumer-facing developments after the launch of the Google Health Studies app late last year.

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Technology

Sony’s next Xperia flagship leaks with beautiful design, periscope camera

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Take a look at the premium Sony Xperia 1 III

Building upon the success of the Xperia 1 II, the upcoming Xperia 1 III boasts an industrial design that’s once again characterized by the presence of a large 6.5-inch 21:9 display and uniform bezels. 
Sony has focused most of its efforts on reducing the thickness of the bezels, and that’s noticeable in the dimensions department. Whereas the Xperia 1 II measured in at 165.1 x 71.1 x 7.6mm, the Xperia 1 III lands in at just 161.6 x 67.3 x 8.4mm. 
This setup has been paired with an updated frame, presumably carved out of aluminum, that’s now completely flat. It houses a volume rocker, a power button that doubles as the fingerprint scanner, a dedicated shutter key, and a new shortcut button, like the one included on the pricey Xperia PRO. 

Like the last model, Sony’s Xperia 1 III is aimed at power users, so it continues to include a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot. To ensure the best audio experience, Sony has retained the dual front-facing speakers too, which leaves the bottom of the home for the USB-C port. 

Sony isn’t holding back in the camera department

Periscope cameras became quite popular in 2020, yet Sony skipped the feature on both of its flagships. To address the related complaints and keep up with the competition, though, the Japanese brand has now decided to add one to its first 2021 model.

The exact specifications aren’t available at the moment, but the new zoom camera should offer at least 5x optical zoom, although 10x can’t be ruled out, and it’ll sit alongside a 3D Time-of-Flight sensor, the main camera, and what’s probably an ultra-wide shooter. 

As was the case last year, the entire camera system has been developed in partnership with ZEISS and sports a ZEISS T coating. 

In regards to the selfie department, there is a single sensor in the upper bezel. Its specifications haven’t been revealed.

The Xperia 1 III should be powered by the Snapdragon 888

Sitting at the heart of the Sony Xperia 1 III should be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888. The latter is also used inside US Galaxy S21 models and means the next Xperia flagship is going to be one of the fastest phones on the market.

As Hemmerstoffer corroborated himself, the Xperia 1 III offers 5G network support as standard, much like the previous-gen model. The more efficient modem means the related battery drain should be less noticeable. 

The RAM and storage are a bit of a mystery, but an educated guess can be made. Sony’s Xperia 1 II shipped with an 8/256GB configuration last year, so the same could be on the cards for the 2021 model. Whether pricier variants are in the works will remain to be seen. 

Sony Xperia 1 III announcement, release date, price

The Sony Xperia 1 III should be announced later this quarter, potentially in late February or March. A launch date soon after would be ideal, but Sony tends to ship its Xperia 1 flagships towards the end of the second quarter. If that’s the case in 2021, expect the Xperia 1 III to be released around June. 

Pricing is more of a guess at this stage, although the Xperia 1 II retailed at $1,199 last year and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Sony position the Xperia 1 III similarly considering its focus on a niche segment rather than the mainstream market. 

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