Technology Behind Nokia 9 Pure View Penta-Camera Feature

The multi-camera set-up is based on technology developed by Light, a Silicon Valley start-up that released the L16 in 2017.

The 16-camera device aimed to offer the benefits of a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera in a much smaller package.

But reviews criticised it for yielding inconsistent iamges that were badly conncted to each other.

It never sold well, but Light always suggested it was a stepping stone to bringing its know-how to smartphones.

The Nokia 9 5 camera tie-up appears to be the first handset to take advantage of this technology

The device attempts to tackle some of the problems experienced by the L16 by only using cameras with a similar or identical standard wide angle field-of-view.

As a result, users do not have the option of switching to a wider-angled view or a telephoto zoom, which would be more flattering for portraits, as is the case with most smartphones that offer a choice of cameras.

Furthermore, owners have to wait several seconds for each shot to be processed before they can edit it.

This is in part because the device relies on a last-generation Snapdragon 845 processor. But HMD said the time required to have optimised the software for Qualcomm’s newer Snapdragon 855 chip would have delayed bringing the phone to market.

In brief tests, the BBC experienced problems with the depth-mapping in several shots, resulting in parts of the image being blurred that should not have been. However, HMD said an updated version of the camera software would be released with the phones.

“Having used the L16, I was disappointed – I struggled to take pictures that were better than a high-end smartphone,” commented Ben Wood from the tech consultancy CCS Insight.

“So, the Nokia 9 PureView is the big test for Light’s computational photography approach.

“The sheer engineering effort to integrate the platform is impressive but the proof of whether it was worth it will come from the results the Nokia 9 PureView can deliver given the enormous expectations it sets.”

It showed off other camera formations and added that its current chipset could capture data from up to six lenses at once.

“Smartphone-makers don’t seem to be able to help themselves with regards to putting more cameras on a device,” Mr Wood added.

“But I think others will wait to see how the Nokia phones get on before they commit.”