Samsung Galaxy Note 10 May Feature ToF Sensor, Supply Partner Tips

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is just over a month away from its official launch, but new leaks and reports surrounding the next Galaxy Note flagship keep coming in. After concept designs and alleged case renders gave us a look at what the Galaxy Note 10 might look like, a new report states that the phone might pack Time of Flight (ToF) sensor for an enhanced imaging output. The news comes from Samsung's home ground, where a camera lens maker is reportedly upgrading its manufacturing capabilities to fulfil Samsung's demand of ToF lenses on its upcoming smartphones, with the Galaxy Note 10 said to be one of them.

“We are planning to produce lenses through our new plant in Vietnam according to Samsung Electronics' plan to expand the application of TOF lenses for its Smartphones”, a representative of camera lens maker Kolen was quoted as saying by ET News.

The report further adds that Samsung is looking to add ToF modules to more phones after debuting it on the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, which had one on the back and another one on the front. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 is reportedly among the Samsung phones that will pack a ToF sensor, or maybe even two. Previous leaks have also indicated that the Galaxy Note 10 will pack a ToF sensor.

The timing and venue of Kolen's manufacturing upgrade indicate that the Galaxy Note 10 might feature a ToF sensor after all. The company is constructing a new plant in Vietnam that will be ready by July and will start operations in June. It must be noted that Kolen is Samsung's partner for camera lenses and aims to manufacture ToF modules first through its new plant in Vietnam, a place where Samsung also makes a large chunk of its phones.

While the usage of ToF technology on the Galaxy Note 10 appears to be certain, it is not known whether the phone will have a single ToF lens on the back, or two sensors on the back and front. Case renders indicate that only the Galaxy Note 10 Pro will have a ToF sensor on the back. Leak-based renders suggest that the Galaxy Note 10 might not have a ToF sensor on its rear panel. Also, the front shows a centrally aligned circular hole-punch housing the camera, which further indicates that we might not see a ToF sensor on the Galaxy Note 10's front profile.

It stands true for the larger Galaxy Note 10 Pro variant, if it also shares the same display design with hole-punch as the Galaxy Note 10. We'll get to know more when Samsung lifts the cover from the Galaxy Note 10 at its Galaxy Unpacked event on August 7 in New York.