Skip to main content

Oppo to produce world’s first smartphone using DigitalOptics’ Lytro-like camera

memscam camera to feature in oppo smartphone doc mems cam module copy
Image used with permission by copyright holder

DigitalOptics has announced a deal with smartphone manufacturer Oppo, confirming the Chinese brand will be the first to produce hardware using its innovative Mems|cam technology. If you’ve not heard of Mems|cam before, it allows you to switch focus on different areas in a picture after it was taken, something like the Lytro. The press release states Oppo has placed an order for the camera modules, which were recently put into production by Lite-On.

The fact it’s Oppo which will be first out with a Mems|cam-equipped device isn’t a huge surprise. The firm was one mentioned to us while we spoke to the DigitalOptics team during Mobile World Congress, and also appeared in several news releases after the show. Oppo has also shown a considerable interest in making exciting, unusual camera phones. Last month it came out with the Oppo N1, a smartphone with a rotating, 13-megapixel camera module, showing it’s not afraid to ignore standard design conventions.

Oppo N1Rumors had spread the Mems|cam module would be fitted to Google’s forthcoming Nexus 5 smartphone, but according to our sources at the time, this wasn’t going to happen. Our source was correct, and DigitalOptics even mentions the rumors in its press release, saying, “several technology news blogs reported that Mems|cam was first being brought to market in another smartphone platform. Those reports were inaccurate.”

Having been suitably impressed with DigitalOptics’ camera back in February, we’re pleased to hear it’s about to be fitted to a smartphone, and one produced by an equally innovative manufacturer. Judging by Oppo’s recent output, we should expect something quite different from them, and with luck the resulting device will be put on sale internationally through its own website.

There’s no indication on when we’ll see the Mems|cam phone, but as the N1 has only just been announced, it may not be until early 2014. We’ve contacted DigitalOptics to see if we can find out more.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more