Challenging the limits of smartphone photography
Huawei Leica dual camera
In today’s world, armed with a mobile device, anyone can become a photographer, recording their life and capturing every worthy moment. And the age of social networks, where hundreds of millions of photographs are uploaded and shared across the world, mobile phone photography is replacing portable digital cameras as one of the most effective mediums of communicating information.
We have seen that innovations in smartphone photography were focused on clarity and speed of the pictures. Consumer preference has now shifted beyond the usual megapixel count where higher quality of focus, better perspective, and more visible depth of field is not just ‘nice-to-have’, but a prerequisite.
Redefining the limits between professional and amateur photography, Huawei’s partnership with premium camera manufacturer Leica offers new and improved dual-lens camera technology that sets a new standard in smartphone photography. By leveraging the unrivalled capabilities of Leica, the leader in the world of imaging for more than 100 years, users of the Huawei smartphones can now enjoy more accurate colors, more refined interaction between light and shadow, and more life-like pictures. Huawei has taken dual camera technology to the next level.
How did this come about? To make dual cameras work, Huawei invested in several research and specialized teams. The joint efforts of a professional camera customization team in Japan, a topnotch dual camera algorithm team at the Huawei Mathematics Research Center in France and Max Berek Innovation Lab, and an ISP (image signal processor) team, have created the most acclaimed Leica dual lens camera used in the Huawei flagship smartphones.
Since the launch of the first dual camera system co-developed with Leica in April 2016, Huawei have upgraded the dual lens technology every six months in an effort to deliver image quality that is consistently in line with the high standards of professional photography.
The Leica standard puts extremely high requirements on mobile phone components, ISP algorithms and postprocessing which Huawei’s R&D teams have responded to with around-theclock testing, continuous re-engineering and tangible quality improvements. Today, Huawei has the biggest lineup of smartphone models with dual lens technology - at least 10 models with a dual camera system - which is featured in all flagship smartphones such as HUAWEI P10 & P10 Plus, Nova 2 Plus, and Mate 9.
Most recently, the HUAWEI Mate 9 series has been upgraded to feature 12MP RGB and 20MP monochrome rear cameras. When taking photos one camera captures the color while the other captures light in low-light conditions, the two cameras will work simultaneously, and mimic the rods and cones of human eyes.
So the real breakthrough Huawei and Leica have achieved with the latest dual-lens camera technology is not simply on the level of technology, but more importantly it is about transforming mobile phone photography from a mundane everyday activity into an authentic art form, infusing with emotion the mere act of capturing an image. What the partnership brings to its consumers are image stories with warmth, self-expression filled with emotions, and thoughtful gentle human interactions. As the most legendary brand in the history of photography, Leica provides the smartphones with not only professionalism, but also more possibilities into the future.
Indeed, Huawei’s recent win at the 2017 European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) Awards for ‘EISA Smartphone Camera 2017-2018’ celebrates the outstanding user experience of the Leica dual-camera. This appropriate accolade by the world’s largest independent collaboration of experts in multimedia technologies and consumer electronics will no doubt spur Huawei on to keeping revolutionizing the world of smartphone photography in our lifetime.