Korean manufacturer, LG, has released a teaser for its forthcoming V40 ThinQ smartphone, boasting a total of five cameras.
The as yet unreleased device is set to replace last year’s V30 as the company’s flagship handset
While some graphical elements in the video, such as the one above, suggest an arrangement of five cameras working together, the phone actually features a trio of rear cameras with a dual-lens setup on the front of the phone.
Neither of these two configurations (front or rear) is a first for the smartphone world. Huawei’s P20 Pro famously sports three rear cameras (and currently sits at the top of DxOMark’s camera test results), while dual ‘selfie’ cameras are becoming increasingly common and can be found in many current handsets including the HTC U12+, Huawei Mate 20 Lite, and Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra.
You can get a better look at the LG V40 ThinQ in this leaked image tweeted by Evan Blass (@evleaks)
What the LG V40 ThinQ promises then is the benefits of both multi-camera setups in a single device.
LG V40 ThinQ for AT&T pic.twitter.com/uMsxdsnXf0
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) 26 September 2018
The sheer number of cameras is, of course, no guarantee of quality or performance. However, additional cameras offer undeniable advantages when it comes to artificial bokeh, light-gathering ability and optical zoom functions. Regardless of single-lens performance, phones hoping to reach the top the DxOMark Mobile chart, are very unlikely to do so without multiple rear cameras as specific tests for these features can have a significant impact on the overall score.
For a true five-camera setup you’ll have to wait for something like this rumoured device from Nokia or perhaps step up to a nine-camera design like this one from Light.
We can expect the LG V40 ThinkQ to launch on October 3rd, just a few days ahead of Google’s Pixel 3 which sticks resolutely to a single rear camera format. It’s certainly entering exciting times for smartphone photography.
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