To nobody's surprise, the Galaxy S11 series has become a hot topic of conversation fueled by leaks and rumors. The recent unofficial CAD renders depicting the alleged Galaxy S11e and Galaxy S11 have led to a few speculations, one of which pertains to the main camera setup and the possibility that the Galaxy S11 flagship lineup could make use of laser auto-focus technology.
As usual, some educated guesses can be made as to what the future lineup will have in store for Galaxy fans, but other aspects remain unclear or shrouded in complete mystery. As far as laser auto-focus is concerned, this isn't a groundbreaking or new technology so it's not so outlandish to consider the possibility that Samsung will adopt it. Then again, unofficial CAD renders are the basis of this rumor so it remains open for debate.
Rumors point at laser auto-focus, which could mean the end of PDAF?
Laser auto-focus was first employed by the LG G3 more than four years ago but was abandoned by the company in favor of Phase Detection Auto-Focus with the launch of the LG G6. In theory, laser auto-focus provides the fastest focusing method and performs great in any lighting conditions, but its biggest downside is that it has a difficult time focusing on long-distance objects.
Assuming that the rumor turns out to be true and the Galaxy S11 series will adopt a laser auto-focus module, this could mean that Samsung will abandon PDAF as well; unless the company can use both.
Obviously, there's no way of knowing for sure at this point, but if Samsung could find a way to combine both PDAF and laser auto-focus into a single package then the Galaxy S11 camera might be able to deliver great results both in landscape and macro photography.
It's still too early to tell, so a bit of skepticism might be healthy
However the Galaxy S11 series will turn out, we advise readers to take these hypotheses for what they are and keep a pinch of salt nearby. At the end of the day, that indication of a small additional sensor visible in the recent CAD renders could be anything.
Even if the dimensions used to create the CAD renders are accurate, there's not much information that these files can confirm in terms of internal specifications. The new camera layout could mark the end of Samsung's signature design, but time will tell just how fundamentally different the setup will be under the hood.
As always, we'll keep you posted if we find out more. Until then, what's your take on this recent rumor, and do you think bringing back laser auto-focus would be a good idea? Leave a comment below.
This is the Laser focusing module added by the Galaxy S11 series. pic.twitter.com/44fDYvFz4F
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) November 25, 2019
