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Posts Tagged ‘smartphones’

US intelligence agencies warn against purchasing Huawei smartphones

15 Feb

Directors from six US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, FBI, and NSA, have told the Senate Intelligence Committee that they wouldn’t recommend Americans use Huawei services or products, according to CNBC.

FBI Director Chris Wray explained to the Committee:

We’re deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don’t share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks. That provides the capacity to exert pressure or control over our telecommunications infrastructure. It provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information. And it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage.

This saga actually began in 2012, when the Chinese tech company was the subject of a national security investigation by US government officials who worried that its products may pose a cybersecurity risk. Huawei publicly dismissed the concerns, though the final investigative report alleged the Chinese company wasn’t fully cooperative with investigators. Australian government officials had expressed similar concerns at the time.

Huawei has consistently denied claims that its products and services may be compromised by the Chinese government. These concerns, however, have persisted to varying degrees over the years, and recently came to a head when AT&T abandoned plans to offer the Huawei Mate 10 phone in its stores.

The Huawei Mate 10 Pro went up for pre-order in the United States earlier this month.

Sources speaking to Reuters last month claimed that US lawmakers pressured AT&T into cutting commercial ties with Huawei over national security concerns, and that included asking AT&T to stop offering Huawei phones through its Cricket subsidiary. Bloomberg reported similar issues related to Verizon’s abandoned plans to sell the Huawei Mate 10.

This intelligence report to the Senate Intelligence Committee is the latest, and possibly the worst, blow for Huawei, which has struggled to enter the US market. The Mate 10 Pro and its impressive camera only just went up for pre-order in the US, and already consumers are being warned against purchasing.

Chinese drone maker DJI recently faced similar issues following a leaked government memo and a report detailing what is claimed to have been a major security vulnerability.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Samsung’s new ISOCELL Dual module will bring dual-cameras to budget smartphones

08 Feb

Dual-camera setups that allow for better zooming and a background-blurring fake bokeh effect have become pretty much a standard feature on flagship smartphones; however, they are still far less common on cheaper ‘budget’ devices. That’s all about to change. The image sensor division of device maker Samsung just launched the new ISOCELL Dual camera module, which was specifically designed for use in budget devices.

The new module comes with a built-in set of algorithms and functions and can be configured two ways: either for low-light performance by combining image data from two sensor, or to provide a bokeh effect feature. For the low-light setup, Samsung couples two 8MP sensors; for the bokeh effect, the module is assembled with a 13MP and 5MP image sensor combination.

Samsung will likely use the module in its own entry-level devices but, like it does with its sensors, RAM modules and other components, the company is also offering the technology to other OEMs. This will allow smaller companies to integrate dual-cam technology into their products without the need for large R&D budgets and software optimization.

We should see the first production smartphones using the ISOCELL Dual module sometime later this year.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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New flash storage standard opens the way for 8K video capture on smartphones

02 Feb
Photo by veeterzy

Storage speeds on smartphones, Chromebooks, VR headsets and automotive devices are about to make a huge leap forward. Standards group JEDEC has announced the new UFS 3.0 flash storage standard, which doubles the theoretical speed of the current UFS 2.1 standard to 2.9 GB/s, all while lowering power consumption and allowing for operation at a greater range of temperatures.

This theoretical maximum likely won’t be achieved by production devices, but the standard does require the host device to use hardware that supports these blistering fast transfer rates.

What does this actually mean for smartphone cameras? If you are only capturing still images, you won’t see much of a difference; but for video shooters, this could be huge. The new standard allows for 4K video capture at 60 frames per second or even 8K resolution without putting nearly as much stress on your device.

In combination with larger storage capacities—Samsung, for example, has promised to include 512GB modules in its upcoming smartphones—this new standard could make ultra high-resolution video recording on mobile devices standard. If you later want to transfer the recorded footage to another device or computer, the faster speeds help with that, too.

And, finally, the new standard also offers lower power consumption and increased reliability in a wider range of operating temperatures.

As usual, it’s not clear when we will see the first UFS 3.0 ready devices; the new standard will probably take a while to implement on a wider scale. But given Samsung is by far the biggest NAND memory module manufacturer, there is a good chance the Korean company will be among the first to offer the new standard in its smartphones. Something to look forward to in the Galaxy S10, perhaps?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Verizon follows AT&T, drops Huawei smartphones

31 Jan

A couple of weeks ago, AT&T decided not to carry any handsets from Chinese smartphone maker after pressure from lawmakers over security concerns. Now, according to sources at Bloomberg, Verizon is following AT&T’s lead by dropping Huawei from its catalog.

Just like AT&T, the government is reportedly urging the move to end any collaboration with Huawei on standards for a 5G network in the US. “The next wave of wireless communication has enormous economic and national security implications,” said Michael Wessel of a US-China security review commission. “China’s participation in setting the standards and selling the equipment raises many national security issues that demand strict and prompt attention.”

It appears the government’s security concerns over Chinese spying through telecommunications infrastructure will likely delay the implementation of 5G technology in the US. Both AT&T and Verizon plan to roll out 5G networks this year, but now won’t be able to offer Huawei devices, which will likely be the first smartphones to support the new standard.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Smartphones dominated Flickr’s 2017 uploads, but DSLRs are on the rise

13 Dec
Photo by Max Delsid

The iPhone has dominated Flickr’s annual ‘top devices’ list, representing 54% of the site’s top 100 devices in 2017, as well as the majority of the site’s 10 top devices list. These figures were published as part of Flickr’s end-of-year analysis, in which the platform reveals what cameras are most popular among its users, as well as highlighting the site’s top photos of the year.

Flickr’s 2017 Year in Review report shows that smartphones were once again the device of choice among the site’s users, increasing from 48% in 2016 to a full 50% of uploads in 2017.

But it’s not all smartphones this and smartphones that. In fact, DSLRs were used to take 33% of the images uploaded to Flickr this year compared to just 25% in 2016. And in an utterly predictable turn of events, the use of point-and-shoot cameras dropped from 2016’s 21% to a paltry 12% this year.

Mirrorless cameras were the only ones to hold steady, boasting just 4% of uploads in both 2016 and 2017.

Looking at brands specifically, Apple dominates Flickr’s 2017 annual review, with its iPhone representing 54% of the top 100 devices of the year. Flickr says that 9 of the top 10 devices were iPhone models; only the Canon 5D Mark III tarnished that record, coming in at #9. Canon, overall, was the second biggest brand on Flickr this year, accounting for 23% of the top 100 devices. Nikon came in third at 18%.

Flickr has a very large user base at 75 million, making its annual report a notable insight into which devices are most popular with the general public. Just like its top 25 photos of the year give us an idea of the photographic styles that appeal to the most people.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Snapdragon 845 will bring 10-bit color, faster burst and more to next year’s smartphones

07 Dec

With smartphones, image processing is as important—if not more important—than the camera hardware components themselves, which is why the chipset is a crucial element in the imaging pipeline. Most Android smartphones come equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipsets, and the company has just unveiled its latest top-end product, the Snapdragon 845.

We will probably see the Snapdragon 845 in many of 2018’s high-end devices, and that’s a very good thing for the camera system.

As you’d expect from any new chipset, it’s faster than the predecessor Snapdragon 835, comes with more integrated AI processing power and supports higher data speeds. However, the Snapdragon 845 also offers a range of important improvements in the imaging department.

Images can now be captured in 10-bit color with a Rec. 2020 gamut, offering a wider range of tones and hues than the previous 8-bit color. While that’s impressive, the 845’s capability to shoot 60 frames per second at 16MP is even more important when you consider image stacking applications, such as HDR modes or low-light modes that combine several frames to average out noise and improve overall quality.

Another area of improvement is slow-motion video. Next year’s Android flagships will be able to record an impressive 480fps slow motion at 720p in HDR—unfortunately, 1080p resolution will still be limited to 120 fps, lagging behind the current iPhones’ 240 fps capability. Qualcomm is catching up with Apple in terms of video frame rates, though. Like the iPhones 8, 8Plus and X, Snapdragon 845-equipped phones will be able to record 4K footage at 60 fps.

The Xaomi Mi 7 will be the first 2018 model to come with the new chipset, but it’s also expected to be installed on the Samsung Galaxy S9 (which may also come with a variable aperture…). Other brands will likely follow soon after, giving mobile photographers a lot to look forward to in 2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon shuts down camera factory in China, blames ‘the rise of smartphones’

31 Oct

Earlier today, the Nikon board of directors announced plans to close Nikon Imaging (China) Co., LTD (NIC)—a subsidiary based in Wuxi City, Jiangsu, China, where NIC employed some 2,500 workers at a factory that produced compact digital cameras and DSLR lenses. The closure, says Nikon, is due to “the rise of smartphones” and the “rapidly shrinking” compact camera market.

Nikon’s announcement of the closure lays the blame for this cut squarely on the shoulders of the smartphone revolution.

In recent years […] due to the rise of smartphones, the compact digital camera market has been shrinking rapidly, leading to a significant decrease in operating rate at NIC and creating a difficult business environment. In this context, the Company conducted rounds of thorough reviews and discussions on the global manufacturing structure optimization measures stated in the company-wide restructuring plan announced by the Company in November 2016. The Company has decided to discontinue operations of NIC.

Nikon says expenses related to the closure of the factory and “discontinued operations of the consolidated subsidiary” are expected to reach about 7 Billion Yen (~$ 62 million USD).

Of course, the end of Nikon Imaging (China) doesn’t mean the end of Nikon cameras in China. According to Nikkei, Nikon controls 30% of the digital camera market there, and Nikon itself says it will “continue proactively developing business and services in China.” This move is simply in keeping with a harsh if unsurprising (and “old news”) reality: the smartphone has killed the entry-level compact.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Smartphones killed the compact and now they’re coming for entry-level ILCs

14 Aug

When friends ask me to recommend a camera, more often than not they say they’re looking to take better pictures than what they get from their phone. But what does “better than my phone” actually mean?

One of those key differentiating factors has been the “pretty blurry background” effect that an interchangeable lens camera is capable of producing. Whether you know the word ‘bokeh’ or not, you know what a nice portrait looks like: sharp focus on the subject, a soft blurry background. And you know that your phone can’t do it (until now – more on that in a second). In my experience, that’s often part of what people mean when they say “better than my phone.” But those days are quickly coming to an end, and it’s the iPhone 7 Plus leading the way.

It’s not even a question of if the $ 500 ILC becomes obsolete, it’s a matter of when

The iPhone 7 Plus offers Portrait Mode, which uses depth information from the device’s two rear-facing cameras to mimic shallow depth of field. Apple sure didn’t invent it, and it’s far from perfect, but that doesn’t matter: they’ve made the effect very convincing and put it in the hands of millions of users.

The entry-level ILC is dead, long live the entry-level ILC

It’s not even a question of if the $ 500 ILC becomes obsolete, it’s a matter of when. And when may actually be right now. Ex-Google SVP Vic Gundotra spelled it out in a recent Facebook post.

He pretty much hits the nail on the head right there. As it functions now the effect isn’t perfect, but it’s likely already good enough for most people, and it’s only going to keep getting better. And that phrase, “good enough for most people” is exactly how we talked about smartphone cameras just as the compact camera was dealt its final blow.

Computational photography killed the $ 500 DSLR

I know what you’re thinking. “But zoom! Pixel-level resolution! Low light image quality!” I’m here to tell you that smartphones are already well on their way to solving those problems, if they haven’t already. And here’s the key: they don’t have to get it perfect, it just has to be convincing enough to most people. Also, there are approximately zero people outside of the photography community who care how their photos look at 100% magnification.

Smartphone cameras can’t get any bigger than they already are, but they can get smarter. With more cameras, sophisticated algorithms and computational techniques, that’s exactly what they’re doing. It won’t be long before your smartphone camera’s auto mode will be able to retouch images in real-time. Or change apparent focal length after-the-fact.

Lots of people who do want the image quality benefits traditionally associated with a DSLR actually want nothing to do with a DSLR

Autofocus may be the piece of the puzzle that’s hardest to solve. Smartphones are slow to focus in low light, but $ 500 ILCs don’t do a whole lot better. And neither smartphone nor entry-level DSLR is particularly good at tracking a moving toddler, for example. It’s always been necessary to go farther up the product chain to get appreciably better autofocus.

Then there’s just plain old inertia: lots of people who do want the image quality benefits traditionally associated with a DSLR actually want nothing to do with a DSLR. They’re big, confusing and come with a significant learning curve. Camera manufacturers have been able to sell cameras to somewhat unwilling customers because they alone held the keys to better images. So once the device that’s already in your pocket does just about everything a Canon T6 does, why on earth would you be bothered to buy a Rebel?

More than just image capture

Also consider that phones aren’t just capture devices – they’re an interface for your image storage and management. Sure, most entry-level ILCs will connect to your phone via Wi-Fi, but even when it works well, it’s never as easy as just capturing the images on your smartphone in the first place.

Once smartphones can do a reasonably good imitation of things like bokeh and optical zoom, those who never wanted to pick up a dedicated camera won’t have to

There are many ‘set it and forget it’ image management services that will automatically back up your photos, and they don’t stop there – they’ll automatically identify subjects, allow you to search by keyword and date, and organize them into a reasonably-priced photo book for you. Sure beats the pants off spending hours importing and cataloging photos on your hard drive.

There will always be lower-cost, accessible ILCs for people who want to venture outside of ‘green square mode.’ But once smartphones can do a reasonably good imitation of things like bokeh and optical zoom, those who never wanted to pick up a dedicated camera won’t have to.

You’re reading an article on a photography website, so I feel safe saying that you and I care about photography. We want to make pictures, and we take joy in the process. But many people don’t, and they are happy to turn the job over to their smartphone. The day when that segment of the photo-taking population can do that and see results that are good enough in their eyes is right around the corner – if it isn’t already here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Godox teases the A1: An off-camera flash and 2.4GHz trigger for smartphones

25 Jul

Chinese flash brand Godox teased an interesting new product on its Facebook page this weekend. It’s called the A1, and it’s a ‘phone flash system’ that works both as off-camera flash and as a 2.4GHz flash trigger.

Unfortunately, Godox didn’t reveal too many details about the new trigger, teasing it alongside just a few lines of marginally-readable text. “I can only tell you that the product A1 has three built-in LED lamps and one hernia flash, support flash, away from the machine automatically,” reads the Facebook post. “You can control Godox flash which has 2.4G system through it!”

Below the text are a few photos: the product shot you see at the top of this post, and the three sample photos below that show the A1 in action as trigger, flash, and continuous light source:

No word yet on how much the Godox A1 will cost, or when it will officially arrive, but we’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything. Our question for you is: will you actually use this when it does ship? If you’re going to go to the trouble of breaking out a speedlight, wouldn’t you also grab your ILC?

Let us know in the comments.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Beastgrip launches Kickstarter to fund next generation DSLR lens adapter for smartphones

31 May

Beastgrip has created a Kickstarter campaign to fund its latest series of adapters that allow smartphone photographers to shoot through SLR lenses and achieve the associated shallow depth of field. The company has not only officially launched the Mk2 model of its existing DOF Adapter but is also offering the new Pro Series 1.33x Anamorphic Lens and the Beastrail to attach focusing aids when using cinema lenses.

Beastgrip says that it has redesigned some of the build and handling aspects of the DOF MK2 but has also given it new optics that are said to reduce the occurrence of aberrations while at the same time making the system compatible with a wider range of lenses – including zooms.

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The new anamorphic lens compresses a wider view onto the smartphone’s sensor which can then be worked in post-production to create videos with a 2.4:1 aspect ratio and stills in the 16:9 format. The lens has a 58mm filter thread on the front and is prone to ‘cool horizontal lens flare that you get when the lens is pointed towards a bright light source.’

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The Beastgrip DOF MK2 will cost $ 269.99 on its own or $ 409.98 with the Beastgrip Pro housing, while the 1.33x Anamorphic Lens will cost $ 175 or $ 314.99 with the Beastgrip Pro. The Beastrail will be $ 159.99. Each of the items, and various kit combinations, will be offered at a discount on the Kickstarter page for ‘early bird’ investors. 

For more information see the Beastgrip DOF MK2 Kickstarter page or the Beastgrip website.

Press Release

Beastgrip is Releasing New Gear to Turn Your Smartphone Into a Pro Camera Rig

Beastgrip is proud to announce the DOF Adapter MK2, the next generation of the best-selling DOF Adapter that allows photographers and filmmakers to mount a real SLR or DSLR lens to a smartphone for a stunning bokeh, shallow depth of field and manual focus control.

“Smartphone cameras are great, but they have substantial limitations. Without true depth of field, larger sensors and/or the option to add lenses or camera gear, most photos/videos that are shot with one all look the same,” said CEO Vadym Chalenko. “We’re here to change that.”

“Using lenses and depth of field adapters with your smartphone give you an entirely new look, by changing the focal length, perspective, and emotion of your shot so you can focus the viewer’s attention on what’s most important,” VP of Business Development Sean Lawrence explains.

The original DOF Adapter has been a monumental advancement in “phoneography.” Since it was released on Kickstarter back in 2015, professional filmmakers have been pushing it to its fullest potential with films like Ghost Digital Cinema’s “MALTO,” Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ “No Love Like Yours,” National Geographic’s “Wasfia,” and Boat Magazine’s “Of Land and Sea.”

“We couldn’t be happier to be a part of these projects, but we knew that the DOF Adapter could be – and should be – better, so that creators of any skill level can harness its power in their workflow,” added Chalenko.

New Features for the DOF Adapter MK2

  • The new design dramatically improves the image quality from the first version and provides a simple, user-friendly experience. The MK2 also boasts the following new features:
  • Custom optics that dramatically reduce vignetting/hotspotting, chromatic aberration and distortion.
  • Compatibility with a much wider range of full-frame SLR/DSLR lenses, such as zoom lenses.
  • Sealed focusing screen and components for a maintence-free user experience.
  • Durable, black anodized aluminum casing with a rotating barrel that aligns the focusing screen and bayonet mount in one simple motion.

Beastrail

Beastgrip also created a rail support for attaching additional accessories like a follow focus to the DOF Adapter MK2 for a complete filmmaking system with the same features found on professional camera rigs.

Pro Series 1.33X Anamorphic Lens

Following the recent release of the Beastgrip x Kenko Pro Series .75X Wide Angle lens, Beastgrip is adding a 1.33X Anamorphic Lens to the Pro Series Lens Collection as well. This lens transforms videos into a widescreen 2.4:1 aspect ratio and adds a more dramatic perspective without the need to crop, resulting in a high resolution, cinematic look and creative lens flares like seen in Hollywood film

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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