Is Samsung's Dual Pixel camera tech on the Galaxy S7 true phone innovation?
We are pretty spoiled these days when it comes to what our phones can offer, to the extent that a pretty svelte handset like the HTC 10 has been called unremarkable in many a review around the Internets just because it doesn't offer that little something extra that can make it unique, like a curved panel, a modular design, or a 3D-touch display.
These, however, while intriguing, aren't indispensable and used on an everyday basis by their respective phone owners, as anecdotal evidence, and most of our polls show. For something to be called "innovation," no matter how overused this word is nowadays, it has to be both unique and truly useful, that is why we were curious what do you think about Samsung's Dual Pixel camera technology that made a cameo with the new Galaxy S7 and S7 edge. It ticks both boxes, as no other handset has it, and it really adds to the camera experience, catapulting Samsung to the top place in the fastest phone shooters as per our own measurements, not to mention how crazy fast the continuous autofocus behaves while shooting video in any condition.
As a reminder, the Dual Pixel sensor on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge employs two photodiodes for every single pixel, so instead of 5-10% of the dots being used for focusing (like on the iPhone 6s or Note 5), all of them take part now. While not a unique camera technology, that's the first time it's being used in a phone, and the implications for focusing speed and accuracy are huge, especially with moving objects, live footage, or in low-light scenarios. So, is Dual Pixel worthy of the "innovation" crown, or is it a cool, but unessential gimmick, when compared with the cameras of competing handsets, what do you think?
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: