Over the past several years a handful of smartphone makers have experimented with dual camera configurations, but the technology never really took off and was oftentimes labeled as a gimmick or a rather costly way of achieving certain effects in mobile photography. However, this year it looks like the technology is becoming increasingly popular, and many more companies have either joined the dual camera bandwagon or are rumored to do so by the end of 2016. The latest rumors on the matter suggest that Samsung Electro-Mechanics will soon supply dual camera modules to a handful of Chinese smartphone manufacturers including Xiaomi, LeEco, and possibly even Oppo.
Although Samsung has yet to adopt a dual camera configuration for its flagship phones, rumors have it that the technology will be implemented in the 2017 model, specifically the Samsung Galaxy S8. More to the topic at hand, fresh reports now suggest that Samsung is not only working on dual cameras for its own flagships, but also to supply several Chinese smartphone makers with its modules. According to an anonymous “industry source” cited by The Korea Herald today, Samsung Electro-Mechanics will supply Xiaomi and LeEco with dual-camera modules starting July 2016. As far as Xiaomi is concerned, these modules could be adopted by the rumored Xiaomi Mi 5S flagship expected to be released in the second half of the year with a dual camera setup in tow. LeEco keeps increasing its influence in the mobile world and just recently acquired a site worth $250 million in Silicon Valley for R&D purposes, however, it remains unknown which upcoming LeEco smartphones could adopt Samsung’s dual camera modules.
The source goes on to mention that Oppo could also become a Samsung Electro-Mechanics customer for the same reasons, which is quite an interesting notion considering Oppo’s previous efforts to separate itself from the competition with unique smartphone camera configurations. In any case, up until now Samsung Electro-Mechanics acted primarily as a supplier for its own parent company, with 61.8% of sales in 2015 being covered by Samsung Electronics alone. Assuming that the rumors are correct and Samsung Electro-Mechanics will begin supplying dual camera modules to China’s larger smartphone manufacturers, the branch could become less reliant on its parent company’s demands, create new partnerships and business opportunities, and ultimately turn a higher profit.