Samsung is developing a continuous optical zoom module for smartphones
By ForGeeks
Samsung Electro-Mechanics is working on a new telemodule for smartphones with continuous optical zoom. According to The Elec, Chinese flagships could be the first to get this technology.
What’s different about continuous zoom
Today’s smartphones use fixed zoom levels – 3x, 5x, or 10x. In between, the image is shaped by digital zoom, which reduces quality. The new module will allow you to smoothly change the focal length while maintaining detail across the entire range.
The new module will allow you to change the focal length smoothly while maintaining detail across the entire range.
The technology is based on the movement of individual lens groups inside the lens. The main challenges are the increased size, high mechanical precision, and the need for perfect alignment. Samsung has filed several patents in 2024 and 2025, confirming that the project has been a long time in the making.
Samsung has filed several patents in 2024 and 2025, confirming that the project is a long time in the making.
Who can get the technology first
According to The Elec, Samsung is offering the module to Chinese manufacturers, including Xiaomi. These companies have traditionally been quicker to incorporate experimental solutions into mainstream devices. For Samsung, it’s also a profitable move amid a slowing market: the company is betting on expensive cameras with continuous zoom, variable aperture and thin bodies to sell to the widest possible range of manufacturers.
In contrast to Google, which relies on AI algorithms to improve shots in its Pixel 10 lineup, Chinese brands tend to equip flagships with advanced lenses. That’s why a partnership with Samsung could accelerate the proliferation of the new optics.
Why it matters to the market
Sony already offered a similar solution in the Xperia 1 VII, where the lens switches between 3.5x and 7.1x without loss of quality. However, the Xperia series never gained mass popularity due to the limited appeal of the devices in other aspects.
Sony’s Xperia 1 VII series has not yet achieved mass popularity due to the limited appeal of the devices in other aspects.
If Samsung brings the development to mass production, continuous optical zoom could turn “superzoom” in smartphones from a marketing term into a real useful feature. Chinese flagship owners are likely to be the first to feel the difference.
