Carl zeiss phone camera. Review: Microsoft Lumia 950XL Is All About the Carl Zeiss Camera

Review: Microsoft Lumia 950XL Is All About the Carl Zeiss Camera

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)The Quint) /

The Lumia 1020 from Nokia (before Microsoft bought them) was one of the best camera smartphones in the market. The phone managed to match Apple iPhone in the imaging segment and in some aspects, it outdid the Apple smartphone.

Last year, Microsoft-owned Lumia did not FOCUS on the flagship side of mobile affairs. ​They, instead, focussed on improving the brand goodwill for ​Lumia first. Now, you have the Lumia 950 and 950 XL that’s powered to fit in the flagship profile and tailored to serve people who aren’t loyal to either Android or iOS.

The Quint) width=2000 height=1125 / Microsoft Lumia 950XL. (Photo: The Quint)

What’s Good?

I’ve extensively used the Lumia 1020 and loved the camera quality of the Carl Zeiss optics that was offered on the phone. We are pleased that Microsoft Lumia 950 XL has a 20-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens.​ Here’s what we mean.

The Quint) width=2000 height=1125 / Microsoft Lumia 950XL. (Photo: The Quint)

The Quint) width=2000 height=1126 / Picture clicked with Lumia 950 XL. (Photo: The Quint)

In addition to the camera, Lumia 950 XL has the right blend of hardware with the top-of-line Quad-HD display. Lumia 950 XL offers bright colours, clear blacks when the screen gets turned off and ​viewing angles that are hard to go wrong with in a 5.7-inch device.

That’s not all, the Lumia 950 XL gets powered by an octa-core processor with 3GB memory that manages multi-tasking with ease. The display dock feature embedded to the device via Continuum software is a big ​addition to the Windows ecosystem.

The Quint) width=2000 height=1125 / Microsoft Lumia 950XL. (Photo: The Quint)

The next best thing about the Lumia 950 XL is its battery life. We felt the 3340mAh unit might not suffice to support a 2K display quality and high-power hardware, but the Windows 10 mobile manages it quite well.

​What’s Bad?

The Quint) width=2000 height=1125 / Microsoft Lumia 950XL. (Photo: The Quint)

​Microsoft’s biggest problem from day 1 has been the software and this time, it’s no different. ​The Windows 10 Mobile version is yet to reach other existing devices in the Lumia range and it seems Microsoft wants to fix the loose ends before doing it.

It has been repeatedly said that Microsoft has failed to capture developers attention, resulting in less number of native apps for the ecosystem. You still have a hard time looking for apps like Instagram for Windows 10 mobile and that explains the main reason for Windows as a failure in comparison to Android and iOS in the mobile space.

The Quint) width=2000 height=1125 / Microsoft Lumia 950XL. (Photo: The Quint)

Last year, we heard that Microsoft has opened up the Windows ecosystem for other platforms but the results are yet to be seen. And finally, Rs 49,399 for a Windows powered mobile does not make sense when you can get an Android-powered Galaxy Note 5 from Samsung at around Rs 46K.

Why Buy It?

The Quint) width=2000 height=1125 / Microsoft Lumia 950XL. (Photo: The Quint)

Microsoft Lumia 950XL has got the quality, hardware and camera to be ranked as a flagship phone right now. They’ve finally updated themselves to the reality which shows up in the form of a 2K display, 5.7-inch form size and use of an octa-core processor. We love the 20-megapixel Carl Zeiss optics powered camera that captures crisp-clear details and stunning pictures.

The battery life’s good too. However, for Rs 49,399 the Lumia 950 XL might never make it to a buyers list, if and when he’s looking for a high-end phone.

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The idea of having multiple cameras on a device, Kaschke said, is to make enhance photos and treat smartphones DSLR-like.

Nokia 9 PureView, which was introduced at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, uses a penta-lens camera system on the rear that utilises Zeiss optics. (Image credit: Hansa Verma/The Indian Express)

“Smartphone cameras may have evolved over the years and changed the way we take pictures, but there is a limit to what a phone camera can achieve,” Dr. Michael Kaschke, President and CEO of Zeiss Group, is categorical. Kaschke will know, given his company is one of the top players in the optical systems segment with stakes in everything from cameras to smartphones, medical equipment, and even spectacle lenses.

While there will be limits to what a smartphone camera can do, computational photography could be a game-changer. “There is more software to it and less hardware, and we are developing software for computational photography. That said, there is still a limitation, the smartphone can only be that thick,” explained Dr. Kaschke who was in Gurugram recently to open Zeiss’ camera lenses experience zone at Museo Camera, India’s first museum dedicated to photography.

Companies like Google, Apple and Samsung are aware of the ergonomic and technical challenges and are taking the help of software and computer processing to improve image quality. Google, for instance, has mastered Computational photography and the Pixel 3 XL is the perfect example that proves how a software and hardware confluence can drive digital photography to new levels.

Putting more camera lenses on phones is another way to improve picture quality. Huawei P30 Pro has four cameras on the back, Samsung Galaxy S10 has three cameras and Nokia 9 PureView offers five cameras on the rear. Apple is also rumoured to launch the next iPhone with three rear-facing cameras. But what do so many camera lenses do?

The idea of having multiple cameras on a device, Kaschke said, is to make enhance photos and treat smartphones DSLR-like. However, the fact remains that because you only have such a small depth in a smartphone, you cannot increase the sensor size. So low light will always be a problem along with the lack of telescopic performance of a good camera.

“So while the mass of standard photography will be done here, the professionals will use professional and semiprofessional cameras,” he said.

Dr. Michael Kaschke, President and CEO of Zeiss Group, was in India recently to inaugurate Zeiss’ camera lenses experience zone at Museo Camera in Gurgaon. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

Despite the popularity of smartphone cameras, Kaschke said there will always be a segment for highly qualitative, artistic and professional photography. This is where Zeiss wants to FOCUS. “So instead of going to the common variety of photography, which I think the smartphone will eventually prevail over, we FOCUS on the professionals, semi-professional and artistic photographers,” Kaschke said.

‘Nokia 9 PureView has the best optics’

It’s not that Zeiss does not want to work with smartphone companies and perfect the camera experience on phones. In fact, the optics manufacturer now has a partnership with HMD Global, the Finnish company that has rights to produce Nokia-branded phones. Nokia and Zeiss share a long history and found success with phones like the Nokia N95, 808 PureView and 1020 PureView.

HMD Global’s Nokia 9 PureView, which was introduced at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, uses a penta-lens camera system on the rear that utilises Zeiss optics. Initially there was a lot of buzz when the phone was announced, however, the device received mixed reviews from the press.

Zeiss, which is a Germany-based company, is the leading name in camera lenses. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

While Kaschke didn’t comment on what went wrong with the phone, he did defend the camera technology that powers the Nokia 9 PureView. “The optical quality on the phone [Nokia 9 PureView] is probably one of the best that you can find. But as I said before, the optics, the smartphone, and the software have to work perfectly together. I see that computational imaging is still in its early stage and multi-lens photography on the smartphone is just in the making, and I still think we all have to go for it,” he explained.

Kaschke agrees that the smartphone market has gone flat and companies have no choice but to differentiate their phones through camera technology. “I would say the image taking capabilities of a smartphone will once again, as a couple of years ago, have become a differentiator in smartphone technology. Otherwise, you already see a flattening revenue number in smartphones. So I don’t think they will be adding another app or another software feature to drive the volume. What will drive the volume again is the increased performance of photography on the smartphone,” he said.

“I’m convinced we will find other new solutions. What exactly they are, I don’t know but the right thing is to go into computational imaging which means we need different ways of taking a picture with different sensors, not just one sensor because one sensor will never completely compete with a good camera.”

’40MP is more than enough’

For the longest time, there was no talk of the megapixels, neither from smartphone companies nor from camera makers. But it appears that the megapixel war is back, with some smartphone OEMs on the verge of announcing 64MP camera phones. Even traditional camera makers like Sony are not behind, with the Japanese company recently announcing the 7R IV, the world’s first 61MP Full-Frame camera.

Museo Camera is first of its kind museum in India dedicated to photography. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)

But Kaschke is not impressed. “ pixels are not necessarily better. Why? If you stay with the full-frame sensor and divide that sensor into more and more pixels, the pixels become smaller and smaller, and then you get into a noise problem. I think for most of the applications, also serious professional applications, my guess would be the 40MP is already more than enough.”

vivo phones will soon have Carl Zeiss cameras

vivo has announced a partnership with optoelectronics brand Carl Zeiss. The collaboration would bring the lens maker’s expertise to vivo phones, delivering an exceptional experience.

The company also teased an upcoming vivo device sporting the Zeiss branding underneath the camera lens module. The partnership has immense potential as phone makers like Nokia have relied on Zeiss optics for a long time, and the results are exceptional.

Similarly, Huawei also teamed up with another optoelectronics brand — Leica. The two delivered the mind-boggling Mate and P-series phones that scored exceptionally well in real-life performance as well as benchmarks. For a brief period, Nokia had exclusive rights over Carl Zeiss’s smartphone lenses, but it ended years ago when Sony got onboard as well.

The announcement also proves that vivo is very serious about the premium segment and intends to increase its FOCUS in the coming months. The brand has gotten limited success in the flagship segment despite having stellar phones.

With aggressive competition from Samsung, Apple, OPPO, OnePlus, and more, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to breach the premium threshold and command a higher price tag. Even Xiaomi and realme have joined the trend and are hoping to capture a larger market chunk.

Netflix adds a new ‘My Netflix’ tab for your content

Leaving a film or a show unfinished on Netflix can be messy. Years after forgetting about it, the same unfinished title can pop up on your recommended feed, leaving you unsure of what point you stopped at. Finally, Netflix is reorganizing its tabs so you can keep track of your content.

Today, Netflix has launched the new My Netflix tab. Replacing the old Downloads tab, My Netflix collates all the content you’ve started but not finished, downloaded content, and other bookmarked titles. Instead of fishing for the information on the main feed, users can now access the new tab to have everything at hand.

The update is rolling out now worldwide. If you got a new update for the app, you’ll likely get the new feature, too.

Currently, the company does have a lot that it needs to fix. Over the past several months, the platform has sought a lot of different ways to keep subscribers from cutting their plans to the service. A few of those examples include adding mobile games and upping tried-and-tested content. Adding a dedicated tab for better content organization is certainly a welcome change for users on the platform.

Sadly, the good changes do come with some odd ones. Besides additions to the platform’s features, the platform also changed its subscription tiers including taking out the Basic plan without ad support.

Microsoft just made the world’s first pizza-scented Xbox controller

Only four controllers are available

Eating dinner while playing a video game? We’ve all been there. Sometimes, a game is just too good that we end up gorging on food in front of our monitors and putting our greasy hands back on our controllers. If you want to get the smelly controller without getting grease all over your fingers, Microsoft has a new Xbox controller for you.

To prepare for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem film, Microsoft has released a limited pizza-scented controller for the Xbox. Compared to other limited controllers, the pizza controller is highly customized. For one, it has a large pizza going right through it. The pizza will have the scent diffuser to give off that yummy flavor. (Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t say what flavor the pizza is. If anything, the pizza looks like a slice of pepperoni.)

It’s not exactly easy to get a piece of gaming (and pizza) history. There are only four (naturally) controllers available for users. Much like other custom Xbox controllers, Microsoft will release the limited controllers through sweepstakes online.

However, if you want to get a whiff of the slice of pepperoni, Microsoft will also display the controller in the Xbox Gaming Lounge at the Microsoft Experience Center in New York on August 2 between 4 to 7pm.

Spotify is increasing its all over the world

Your music is getting more expensive. After 12 years of subsisting on the same price, Spotify is increasing the subscription price of its Premium service in several countries around the world.

Since launching in the United States back in 2011, Spotify Premium sold its service for only US 9.99 per month. Despite staying on the same price for more than a decade, the platform kept introducing more features to make the subscription worth more than just music. Users can now access audiobooks and podcasts straight from the app.

Unfortunately, the tried-and-tested formula has found its limit. “So that we can keep innovating, we are changing our Premium across a number of markets around the world,” Spotify said in an official post.

Starting today, the subscription will cost US 10.99. Meanwhile, the Duo, Family, and Student plans will now cost US 14.99, US 16.99, and US 5.99, respectively.

Though the listed are in American dollars, the changes will also sweep several countries across the globe. If you’re in any of the countries below, expect an increase in your monthly bills.

Andorra, Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Thailand, Türkiye, United States, Kosovo

The changes won’t take effect immediately. If you’re a current subscriber, Spotify will notify you a month ahead of time before it implements the increase on your plan.

Xperia PRO-I

The ‘I’ stands for Imaging. The Xperia PRO-I redefines the camera, combining professional imaging quality with smartphone communication capabilities. So you can be creative, wherever, whenever.

An exciting addition to Sony’s camera line-up

The Sony camera range already offers creators an array of benefits including market-leading imaging quality and high-speed performance. Now the Xperia PRO-I brings something new to the line-up, offering photographers, videographers and cinematographers the ability to shoot, edit and send with a single device.

1.0-type image sensor and Sony camera’s high-speed performance for professional imaging quality

The Xperia PRO-I features a genuine 1.0-type sensor, enabling you to capture photos and videos with exceptional imaging quality. The large sensor is supported by Sony’s original image signal processor, giving the camera high-speed performance for unlimited creativity.

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This video introduces the Xperia PRO-I and its features and benefits for imaging professionals. For photographers, the large 1.0 type image sensor and image processing systems from Alpha cameras deliver artistic bokeh, a 2.4 micrometer pixel pitch and clear detail, captured with a high dynamic range. The ZEISS Tessar lens with optical glass aspherical lens is highlighted, along with the T star anti-reflective coatings used on each of the 3 lenses (16mm, 24mm and 50mm). The high performance still camera functionality is demonstrated with Real time auto-FOCUS tracking and 20fps burst shooting with AF/AE, thanks to 315 AF points covering 90% of the frame area. Other scenarios demonstrate the Anti-distortion shutter, Real-time Eye AF for humans and animals, Multi frame noise reduction, Optical image stabilization, and 12bit raw image support. For videographers and cinematographers, features demonstrated include Object tracking, and 4K 120fps video recording, as well as the cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio and colour profiles. Reliable video capture is also shown using Optical SteadyShot with FlawlessEye, Eye AF for video recording, the Monaural mic, and accessories like the Vlog Monitor and shooting grip.