LG's next flagship phone, called the G8 ThinQ, will have something akin to Apple's Face ID. The company has confirmed that its upcoming handset will boast a 3D time-of-flight camera on the front for facial recognition.
This lines up with recent alleged renders of the device in question that showed two cameras in the phone's display notch. Yes, it will have a notch.
What Does A Time-Of-Flight Sensor Do?
For the uninitiated, time-of-flight sensors bounce infrared light off subjects. Primarily, this system can be used for object recognition, which leads to a number of implementations from more secure facial recognition to nicer-looking background blur for selfies. It also paves the way for potentially more augmented reality applications.
While LG has confirmed that the ToF sensor on the G8 ThinQ is Infineon's REAL3 chip, it has yet to share how it's going to be used in the G8's software. But LG nonetheless says that users can expect "a new level of front camera capability in a smartphone."
LG isn't the first company to release a smartphone with a ToF sensor, and it's highly likely more handsets like this will be released throughout the year. The Honor View 20 is one such phone, its ToF sensor placed on the back. The Vivo Nex Dual Display Edition is another example. Sony, which produces ToF sensors, says it plans to increase production of its own versions of the technology. Rumor has it that it's going to supply 3D cameras for the iPhone 11.
LG G8 ThinQ Rumors
The official unveiling of the G8 ThinQ is scheduled later this month at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. For quite some time, LG has been dropping hints here and there. One such hint teases the G8 will focus more on more dynamic gestures instead of plain touch-based navigation. One rumor alleges that the phone will have an optional attachment that adds a second screen.
That rumor might seem silly, but it's not unprecedented — LG has released phones that have, sort of, two screens: the V10 and V20. Both those had a tiny strip up top for notifications and quick access to certain features. Since LG is no stranger to this setup, the G8 ThinQ might very well experiment with more than one display.
Make sure to check back with Tech Times as we learn more. In the meantime, feel free to sound off in the comments section below if you have any thoughts!
