Samsung Galaxy S11 could have this cool Huawei P30 Pro feature included in its camera

(Image credit: Phone Arena)

last updated 14 May 2020

Another day, another Samsung Galaxy S11 rumour, this one around the S11's upcoming camera system. A 108MP camera sensor, developed in partnership with Xiaomi, is said to be included as well as potentially an under-screen selfie camera, but nothing has been confirmed – yet. However, a new trademark application has revealed a tidbit of info on Samsung's plans for its upcoming devices.

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Leaksters LetsGoDigital have found a European trademark application from Samsung called "Space Zoom". Designed to be included in future smartphones, the trademark relates to software designed to help the camera zoom into high-quality images without losing quality, going beyond the lens' physical capabilities.

This function is called a "hybrid zoom" because it combines optical zoom (done with the physical camera) with digital zooming and software in order to improve results. It's grabbing details from multiple images simultaneously – some far away, and some zoomed in – and combining them to create a better photo.

Huawei has previously used hybrid zoom technology on several of its most recent products over the last year, as has Oppo Reno 10X Zoom. Whereas traditional bulky zoom lenses would simply not work on a smartphone, hybrid zoom allows smartphone users to replicate the effect. It stands to reason Samsung, as one of the biggest players in the Android world, would be hot on Huawei's heels.

As well as a brand new camera, Samsung is likely to include 5G compatibility and its new premium mobile processor, the Exynos 990 chip, and the new Exynos Modem 5123, two devices that are designed to work together in order to 'empower tomorrow’s mobile devices with unprecedented performance and efficiency'.

With speculation rife around the device, we're likely to see the final product appear early in 2020. However, whether hybrid zoom will be ready in time for the S11's launch date is another matter altogether.

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Matt Evans now works for T3.com sister brand TechRadar, covering all things relating to fitness and wellness. He came to T3.com as staff writer before moving on, and was previously on Men's Health, and slightly counterintuitively, a website devoted to the consumption of Scotch whiskey. In his free time, he could often be found with his nose in a book until he discovered the Kindle.