Samsung, Olympus Tipped to Collaborate for Next-Generation Flagship Galaxy Smartphone Cameras

Samsung may partner with Olympus to produce camera modules for the next generation of Galaxy smartphones, as per a report. While there is no confirmation from either company on the development, it is being claimed that the cameras produced by the Japanese company may debut in either a special edition Galaxy Fold or the flagship Galaxy S22 Ultra. Olympus allegedly approached the South Korean tech giant to offer branding as well as expertise in key areas of photography and videography. The talks are said to be in a nascent stage.

Tipster Yogesh tweeted that Samsung could be the next brand to jump on the wagon of partnering with a reputed camera brand for its smartphones. Later, a report by Tom's Guide claimed that tipsters FrontTron and Ice Universe confirmed that Samsung and Olympus could work together for future smartphone camera tech. This partnership could allow Samsung to improve its smartphones' camera quality. Due to the lack of official confirmation, this information should be taken with a pinch of salt.

The smartphone market has already seen various companies collaborate with camera manufacturers to improve their smartphones' photography. Huawei has been a long-time partner with Leica, and Nokia has been using Carl Zeiss optics with its flagship models. Chinese brand Vivo is offering Zeiss optics in its recently-launched X-series of smartphones, and OnePlus is the latest entrant in the market that is offering the OnePlus 9 series with optics from iconic camera brand Hasselblad.

It is to be noted that Samsung, along with Sony, is among the top producers of smartphone camera sensors. Olympus, famous for its high-quality products, may help the South Korean company gain an edge in the camera department. Samsung has already acquired US-based audio product maker Harman — the parent company of brands such as JBL, Lexicon, AKG, and Mark Levinson. Samsung flagship smartphones come bundled with AKG earphones in the box.

Is Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra the most complete Android phone yet? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.