Samsung Galaxy S22 leak just revealed a missing camera feature

Samsung Milky way S22 leak merely revealed a missing photographic camera characteristic

(Image credit: Technizo Concept/LetsGoDigital)

While the Samsung Galaxy S22 is very likely non due out for over six months, a new report has revealed an interesting omission from its camera arrangement.

The next Samsung Galaxy Due south-serial phone won't use a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor as part of its photographic camera array, co-ordinate to Korean outlet ET News, which cited manufacture sources.

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ET News' unnamed industry official said this was due to customers being satisfied past photos not using ToF sensors: "Consumer response to the current camera organisation without ToF is not bad, and then we decided not to add ToF to our next work."

"We will not add anything considering we can meet the consumer'due south eye level fifty-fifty with a general camera without ToF," some other manufacture official said.

Samsung get-go used ToF sensors on the Samsung Milky way S10 5G in 2019, then over again on the Milky way Note 10 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus and Galaxy S20 Ultra. ToF cameras are a mode that a phone's camera organisation can figure out the distance betwixt it and the field of study of a photo. It uses a combination of light emitter and sensor to measure out how long it takes for light to reflect from the subject, which and then allows the phone to calculate how best to focus or employ special furnishings.

Since and then, the sensor has been dropped from the Milky way Notation twenty series and Milky way S21 series, which instead use laser autofocus systems on the Galaxy Notation twenty Ultra and Milky way S21 Ultra. It's possible that the S22 volition besides use light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation autofocus, even if just on its Ultra variant.

Samsung's abandoning of ToF sensors hasn't stopped rivals from adopting the technology. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max characteristic LiDAR sensors, a similar engineering to ToF. Huawei's P40 Pro and Mate forty Pro too use ToF sensors. Apple tree'south use of LiDAR had evidently led Samsung to ponder reintroducing ToF cameras to its phones. However ET News' report seems to show this is no longer beingness considered.

It's expected that moving away long-term from ToF sensors volition have an touch on on Samsung's own product of the sensors. Without its ain smartphone division using them, Samsung may calibration down its production of ToF cameras, leaving more than global demand to be scooped upwardly past Sony, the earth's leading supplier of camera parts for phones.

Other reports have given u.s. more encouraging news about the Galaxy S22'due south cameras. It was recently rumored that Samsung is teaming upward with camera maker Olympus to help refine the phone's photography skills, similar to the OnePlus 9'south Hasselblad-tuned cameras.

ET News mentioned the Galaxy S22 will launch in Q1 of next twelvemonth. The Galaxy S21 launched in January of this twelvemonth, so chances are we should look an early on appearance by the S22 in 2022. Samsung'southward Galaxy Due south-series phones often feature in our best Android phones picks, including the current ToF-less Galaxy S21. So it seems likely that the Galaxy S22 will remain a quality telephone even without a ToF sensor.

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Richard is a Tom's Guide staff author based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, gaming, audio and any else people demand advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he'southward also written for WIRED U.M., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at piece of work, he's likely thinking near how to mash the perfect cup of specialty coffee.