Dual-camera setups for smartphones aren’t new, with HTC back in 2014 launching the One M8 with dual-camera setup at the rear. The dual-camera setup has been lately seen on a lot of smartphones including the LG G5, Huawei P9, and more recently the iPhone 7 Plus. In an attempt to tap the trend, chipmaker Qualcomm has introduced its new Clear Sight technology for dual-camera setups. The company says that the new Clear Sight technology is designed to “mimic the attributes of the human eye” which means the setup can mimic functions of binocular vision. The company is also detailing colour and low light technologies, likening them to the human eye’s cones and rods.
Qualcomm says the biggest advantages of the new Clear Sight tech are that it enables taking images with improved dynamic range, sharpness, and less noise in low light. The new dual-camera tech from Qualcomm is supported by the high-end Snapdragon 820 and 821 processors. Clear Sight can be expected to be seen on smartphones launched in 2017.
Detailing the new tech, Qualcomm says Clear Sight features integrated hardware module that contains two cameras – each comes with its own lens and image sensor. Both the cameras have different image sensors: one colour image sensor, and a separate black and white image sensor.
With Clear Sight, Qualcomm has removed the top layer’s colour filter which means it won’t be able to capture colour, but its ability to capture light is claimed to increase by 3 times.
“The human eye is a great analogy because your eyes contain cells called “cones” and “rods.” Cones are great at capturing colour, but require well-lit environments, while rods excel in capturing light in low-light conditions, but don’t capture as much colour. Clear Sight is designed to mimic cones and rods to give you the best of both worlds, producing an image that has optimal contrast and brightness,” notes Qualcomm.