Nokia

Nokia to invest in Lytro-like camera technology for future phones

posted by Victor H. / Apr 30, 2013, 8:51 AM

Nokia to invest in Lytro-like camera technology for future phones

Nokia is planning on making an investment in U.S. Pelican Imaging, a California startup developing Lytro-like camera technology for smartphones and other mobile devices.

In case you are not familiar with the Lytro camera, it basically allows you to focus after you snap an image. This frees you from worrying about where to focus and basically means your whole picture will always be in focus. You can choose to selectively focus on an area after you have taken the image.

To achieve that Pelican Imaging is developing an array of sensors that capture the same picture and adds a sprinkle of software magic on top to achieve the Lytro-like effect quickly. We have also seen a software-only approach in apps like FocusTwist but those come with a lot of limitations - objects in the picture should not be moving and it takes a while to shoot the image. Pelican’s technology is more advanced in that sense.

Nokia has the longest history in cameraphones of all handset manufacturers. Most recently, it released the industry leading 41-megapixel Nokia 808 PureView, a Symbian smartphone with a huge sensor, and the Nokia Lumia 920 with best-in-class optical image stabilization and enhanced low light performance. Nokia’s upcoming cameraphone is said to feature a mixture of the advances made in those two devices.

source: Bloomberg

Lytro-like technology will allow you to choose what to focus after you take a picture

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60 Comments

1. jericalvarez

Posts: 7; Member since: Apr 27, 2013

nice.....

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 8:56 AM 42

7. akki20892

Posts: 3902; Member since: Feb 04, 2013

not nice, it's really nice.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:09 AM 32

19. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

It's not really nice, it's reeeeaaallllyyy niceeee!! :P

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:54 AM 27

36. lumia920

Posts: 112; Member since: Nov 27, 2012

greeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttt

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 11:01 AM 15

47. jericalvarez

it's extremely nice.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 2:19 PM 8

16. EXkurogane

Posts: 863; Member since: Mar 07, 2013

Works the same way like how those cameras mounted on Satellites function. Fantastic.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:42 AM 16

23. Rayanx10

Posts: 45; Member since: Mar 30, 2013

good job nokia.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:07 AM 14

50. arsenaljimenez

Posts: 196; Member since: May 03, 2012

agreed. now that is innovation

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 4:19 PM 2

52. HDShatter

Posts: 1021; Member since: Jan 17, 2013

Too bad it will be plagued with the cancer that windows 8 is. If Nokia made android phones they would be a lot more popular.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 6:09 PM 0

56. chaoticrazor

Posts: 2347; Member since: Aug 28, 2012

troll found dont you get bored been pathetic? go back to android land seriously ive noticed these android fans and trolls claim to be secure in there choice of android yet every none android article they swarm on to slate other choices...your nervous people have there own mind and wont just follow you lot more os's benefit the customer, android is in no way perfect or the best for everything and everyone, no such os exists which is why we need choice

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 7:10 PM 2

2. Malki

Posts: 68; Member since: Feb 20, 2013

Focus after taking the picture is very nice feature :D Nice one nokia :)

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 8:56 AM 25

40. Malki

And I hope that some android phones will have cameras like this :)

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 11:49 AM 4

3. windroid unregistered

Nice ;)

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 8:58 AM 17

4. tiara6918

Posts: 2263; Member since: Apr 26, 2012

That is an impressive investment Nokia made there. This way your memory will not be wasted. I can't count how many times I've lost the chance to capture the image I wanted because the focus on the camera was on something else(I can't always remember to tap the screen to focus on the image)

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 8:59 AM 21

8. XperiaPrince

Posts: 108; Member since: Dec 25, 2012

wow awesome camera tech!! Nokia's mobile tech is top notch! Great job nokia! THE KING IS BACK!!

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:11 AM 8

53. HDShatter

Nokia is pulling a Duke Nukem Forever if the King is back. They will never become popular again until they ditch windows. The Lumia 920 is a nice phone, the only reason I would never get one is Windows.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 6:13 PM 0

10. lubba

Posts: 1313; Member since: Jan 17, 2011

@juandante... I'm guessing you'll never in your lifetime ever have yourself an awesome Nokia phone with your attitude.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:30 AM 2

12. juandante

Posts: 679; Member since: Apr 23, 2013

I have one of previous best Nokia camera phone. You don't want to admit W8 is pure joke.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:35 AM 0

15. tashreef

Posts: 476; Member since: Nov 24, 2012

But not as good as you ...!! Joke,,,,,,,

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:41 AM 0

17. chaoticrazor

how is it a joke, seriously time for you to more on symbian was a great os but couldnt move fast enough with the shift to touchscreen. you really need to stop blaming the CEO

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:49 AM 0

24. Chiddu

Posts: 22; Member since: Jul 02, 2012

It is not nokia chose windows phone, it is ms which chose nokia. Reason: Why MS is paying Nokia? Look at Symbian Belle on 808 n say.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:10 AM 0

25. chaoticrazor

''Look at Symbian Belle on 808 n say.'' i have no idea what your trying to say,

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:12 AM 0

26. juandante

Because Belle is very good m*rr*n.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:13 AM 0

30. chaoticrazor

lmao you absolute dumbass, you do know the phone i use is the 808 running guess what belle fp2 so i know how good belle is

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:21 AM 1

31. dexter_jdr

Posts: 1163; Member since: Jun 28, 2012

symbian belle is very good but cant compete enough against android and ios. thats why they cooperated with microsoft. they tried to improve and optimize symbian but it can only reach upto belle fp2. its a hard transition but it is what it is.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:23 AM 0

32. juandante

and Maemo ?

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:29 AM 0

35. Chiddu

Then why they were making huge changes to Lumia phones software.

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 10:49 AM 0

13. protozeloz

Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010

I wonder why the other never touched that technology, I really wanted to see this tech but years passed and no one testee it out...

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:39 AM 0

18. tashreef

don't worry ... samsung will be there in some time ... they may not be good at inventing things... but definitely at Copying ..... hhahahha .... So which Nokia monster will be the "ONE" to get it first...?

posted on Apr 30, 2013, 9:50 AM 6

27. protozeloz

I'm sorry, your joke lacked depth lots of it I'm talking about camera tech, also using better camera is also considered copying? I mean if you gonna hate at them at least have a good basis