Samsung didn’t put a depth sensor there, Apple bought everything

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A ToF camera (acronym for Time of Flight), or Time of Flight is a sensor that calculates distances in real time. Two methods exist. In both cases, a signal is emitted by the camera. This signal bounces off an obstacle and returns to its point of origin. To schematize, there are two methods to calculate this time. A direct method that simply calculates the time taken for the signal to make the round trip. And an indirect method that uses continuous and modular signals and compares the forward signal and the return signal. Of course, in real life, it’s more complicated.

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Samsung uses ToF cameras for a handful of these smartphones. The Galaxy S20+, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, the Galaxy Note 10+ and the Galaxy S10 5G. All are equipped with indirect measurement cameras. And you will certainly have noticed that Samsung has decided not to integrate this component into the Galaxy Note 20. And there shouldn’t be any in the near future. According to the Korean daily The Elec, the electronics giant has decided to abandon this technology, because it does not offer sufficiently satisfactory results.

Apple has the exclusivity of direct measurement cameras

It turns out that indirect technology does indeed provide more approximate results than direct technology, which is much more precise. Why isn’t Samsung buying direct measurement cameras? According to The Elec, there is only one manufacturer of ToF cameras that uses this calculation method. This is Sony. And, the Japanese firm would have signed an exclusive agreement with Apple to provide the iPhone. Simply.

Under these conditions, Samsung has no other choice. However, the Korean firm would not have given up on the idea. The Korean daily claims that it has instructed its LSI division (the one in charge of Exynos SoCs and ISOCELL photo sensors) to create an indirect-measurement ToF camera whose performance would be similar to that of direct-measurement cameras. But Samsung’s objective would not be to equip the successor to the Galaxy S20 (see even that of the Note 20).

Indeed, the Korean daily claims that the giant first wants to see emerge the uses that justify the integration of such a sensor (augmented reality or virtual reality applications) before relaunching. Concretely, Samsung wishes to observe the competition (Apple mainly) to wipe the plaster before making a comeback. And by then, a suitable solution would be ready.

Source : The Elec