Galaxy S10 shows us that phones with triple rear camera take over

This year has been one of the most eventful in the phone industry. There is a lot of hoopla on 5G phonesFor example, Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 5G. Support for 5G will be limited in 2019, but it is expected to be more widely available in 2020. Foldable phones, like the new Galaxy Fold, have also made headlines, but this will also require a few years to develop seriously if he wants to take off with the masses.

What we will see a lot this year are phones with triple-back cameras. Numerous rumors about the next iPhone with the Galaxy S10 launch point to this trend. Even though Apple and Samsung are not the first to add three cameras to the back of a phone (this would be Huawei P20 Pro from last year, and the LG V40 also has them) the fact that two of the largest phone manufacturers adopt them or plan to do so will surely ensure widespread use.

And that might not stop at three o'clock. the Galaxy S10 5G will have four rear cameras; however, one is a 3D depth detection camera for better portrait and RA photos. There is rumors that the next Huawei P30 Pro will also have four rear cameras. And do not forget that there was a leaked picture of the next Nokia phone that showed five rear cameras and the camera company Light showed a prototype phone with nine rear cameras. But let's focus on three for the moment.

It was just last year that I noticed that phone manufacturers added cameras to phones in the same way that companies added blades to the razorand at this point, you may be wondering why this is happening in the first place.

Having three cameras at the back has several advantages. The main reason is the ability to switch quickly between different focal lengths. It looks like a three-lens turret on an old Bolex camera that allowed you to change lenses simply by rotating the turret.

Here are other ways that phone manufacturers use or could use three rear cameras.

A wider zoom range

The phones rely on the digital zoom to punch at the desired time and the results often look like the confused mess of a child's watercolor painting. The dual rear camera phones, such as the iPhone XS and the Galaxy Note 9, feature 2x optical zoom for better image quality when zoomed in.

Last year, the LG V40 was equipped with three rear cameras offering wide angle, telephoto and ultra wide angle views. But the image quality of the V40 of the three cameras was not equal. To be clear, even the wide-angle cameras on the iPhone XS and Galaxy Note 9 produces better results than their telephoto counterparts.

What we have not seen yet is a wide angle phone, standard angle and telephoto. The Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro are equipped with three rear cameras, which is equivalent to a full-frame 80mm telephoto lens. But this configuration only offers 1X and 3X optical zooms, the digital zoom being used for all the rest.

But it seems possible that a phone can offer 1x, 2x and 3x optical zoom. For example, the two rear cameras of the iPhone XS equivalent respectively to a full-frame lens of 26 mm and 52 mm. If the next iPhone has three rear cameras and Apple adds a 78mm camera that would allow the desired zoom. It would be as if you had a 24-70mm zoom lens in your pocket – a popular lens for interchangeable lens cameras the size of a water bottle.

The Huawei factor

For years, Huawei is one of the leaders in the use of multiple rear cameras on phones. Huawei implements triple rear cameras in a different way from Samsung, LG or my ghost iPhone with triple back camera.

The P20 Pro and the Mate 20 Pro are equipped with a standard camera, a standard black and white camera and a 3x optical zoom telephoto camera. The black and white camera captures the details of the image, while the standard camera completes the color information. All of this data is combined into a single photo with better detail and a better color gamut.

But with rumors circulating about a P30 Pro equipped with four rear cameras, it's interesting to guess how Huawei would use these cameras. Could it work from a standard camera and a telephoto lens each fitted with a matching black and white camera for better detail? This would help resolve the aforementioned picture quality issues that affect phones with multiple cameras.

Could Huawei opt for an ultra-wide angle, wide angle, standard angle and telephoto camera? Or do they keep the already established configuration of three cameras and add a depth detection camera like the next Galaxy S10 5G?

The Google Pixel 3 is amazing and only has one rear camera

My favorite camera for taking photos may be the Google Pixel 3. It has a single rear camera, which proves that more cameras do not necessarily mean a better picture.

Pixel 3 uses a combination of software algorithms, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to turn photos into something much better. Through this process, it can take great pictures even using the digital zoom, as good as fantastic shots in low light.

With Google as a big name aberrant to this triple camera trend, we still do not know exactly where the industry goes with this technology. The software magic of Google can win and allow other companies to reduce their binge of multiple goals. Or Google can simply follow suit and improve it further with its combined software power and additional cameras.

It's something we will have to wait for. Until then, get ready to announce more triple rear camera phones. After all, MWC, the world's largest mobile phone trade show, kicks off today.