High-End 2020 Smartphones To Feature 10x Optical Zoom, Analyst Says

Next year's high-end smartphone models might feature top-of-the-line cameras capable of up to 10x optical zoom, a noted analyst predicted.

This year saw various smartphone companies releasing handsets with the best camera features. Apple released the iPhone 11 series of handset which feature the highly-acclaimed Night Mode and Deep Fusion computational photography features. Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi released the Mi Note 10, the first handset to feature a 108MP sensor, which actually came from Samsung.

Next year, smartphone giants can be expected to take the photography game to another level, this time focusing on one major improvement: optical zoom. Noted TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that in 2020, high-end smartphones will feature cameras capable of 10x optical zoom, and the first smartphone that will have such a feature will be Huawei's upcoming P40 Pro.

In a research note (seen by MacRumors), Kuo said the P40 Pro will have a redesigned periscope telephoto lens featured on its rear camera setup. This device is expected to make its debut in the market during the first half of next year.

Kuo further said that the 10x optical zoom feature will not be exclusive to Huawei next year. Other companies, he said, will be releasing high-end smartphone models that have the same feature. But despite his reputation for making accurate predictions about Apple's devices, he didn't specifically mention if Cupertino will produce an iPhone with 10x optical zoom.

What is optical zoom?

Optical zoom is different from digital zoom, which has been used for many years now. Optical zoom allows cameras to retain the same quality of detail even if shots were taken while zoomed in. Digital zoom, on the other hand, produces shots that get blurrier or poorer in quality the more the user zooms in.

Smartphone giant Oppo previously promised that it will release a handset that has 10x optical zoom within the year, but only released a handset with 10x hybrid zoom – a feature combines optical zoom and software effects.

Still, given Kuo's accuracy when it comes to predictions, it's interesting to see how next year's smartphone photography turns out. Previous reports indicate that Samsung's upcoming top-of-the-line Galaxy S11 Plus might feature “space zoom.” It really is interesting to see how mobile photography works in 2020.