LG teases touchless interface for upcoming smartphone

• LG has teased an alternative to touch input for an upcoming device.
• The teaser video seems to suggest that Galaxy S4-style Air Gestures could be in the works.
• The company will reveal all at MWC 2019, where it’s expected to launch the LG G8.

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MWC 2019 is a month away, and LG is getting on the hype-train with a teaser video for an upcoming device, expected to be the LG G8.

The video clip, uploaded to the company’s YouTube account and spotted by Android Central, claims we can say goodbye to touch. LG’s clip also shows a hand swiping away the “goodbye touch” line several times, before revealing the MWC 2019 timing and event location.

It all seems to suggest the Korean firm is going for a touchless gesture interface on the LG G8. But how would this actually work though?

Previous takes on the technology

Well, the Samsung Galaxy S4 introduced Air Gestures back in 2013, and it allowed users to interact with the screen without actually touching it. By hovering your fingers up to seven centimeters from the screen, you could control page scrolling with a vertical swipe, scroll through photos or music tracks with a lateral swipe, and accept calls by waving your hand over the phone, Jedi-style.

The big issue with these gestures was that simply using the touchscreen was a better way to get things done. So if LG is indeed taking this route, they’ll definitely need to improve accuracy and use cases.

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We’ve also seen more advanced “air” gestures on smartphones, such as Microsoft’s cancelled Lumia McLaren device. The nixed phone packed a “3D Touch” feature, which allowed you to hover over live tiles to view additional options. Think of it like Apple’s 3D Touch, albeit without actually touching the screen. But the functionality also delivered squeezable gestures, akin to the HTC U11.

We’ll need to wait until February 24 in Barcelona to see what LG has up its sleeve, but hopefully it isn’t merely a retread of older technology. What would you like to see from the LG G8? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: Android Zone

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Samsung’s latest camera sensor is designed with punch hole displays in mind

• Samsung has announced a new camera sensor designed for punch-hole displays and notches.
• The ISOCELL Slim 3T2  is a 20MP sensor capable of delivering 5MP pixel-binned shots.
• Samsung’s sensor is expected to go into mass production in Q1 2019.

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Samsung has announced the ISOCELL Slim 3T2, a 20MP camera sensor that’s made for punch-hole displays.

Punch hole displays represent the next phase in the move to proper full-screen smartphones, as a smaller display cutout makes for a less intrusive experience. But a smaller cutout also means the camera sensor has to be small and slim to actually fit into the hole. Enter Samsung’s solution to the problem.

“In order to support smartphones with the latest display features such as the ‘hole-in display’ or ‘notch design,’ front-facing image sensors need to minimize their size while being able to capture high-quality images. The 1/3.4-inch 3T2 snugly fits into a tiny module making more space for the display,” the South Korean company noted in a press release.

More than just a tiny sensor?

Samsung is also taking cues from its GM1 48MP camera sensor, using the same 0.8 micron pixel size on the 20MP sensor. And much like the 48MP shooter, the manufacturer is using pixel-binning to get the most out of the sensor. This process essentially combines the data from four adjacent pixels into one pixel, delivering better quality snaps at the expense of resolution. In fact, Samsung says the phone takes pixel-binned photos that are equivalent to that of a 5MP 1.6 micron pixel sensor.

We’re glad to see the company take the pixel-binning approach, because a 20MP camera with those tiny pixels seems like a recipe for disappointing low-light results.

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Samsung also says this sensor can be used for telephoto rear cameras, claiming it’s able to retain “60 percent higher effective resolution at 10x digital zoom” compared to similarly sized 13MP sensors. Low-light performance is a different story though, and one would think a traditional 13MP telephoto camera with a larger sensor is still the better option in this situation.

The Korean brand says the ISOCELL Slim 3T2 is set to be in mass production in the first quarter of the year. So you shouldn’t have to wait too long to see phones with this technology.

Could we see this on the Galaxy S10 though? We’ve certainly seen an industry trend to implement high resolution cameras and/or pixel-binning on the front. However, Samsung specifically mentions that the sensor is made for “today’s sleekest mid-range smartphones.”

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Source: Android Zone

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