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Smartphones with dual cameras. History of Dual Camera Phones Dual Camera Smartphones

For the first time, people learned about the dual camera in smartphones a few years ago. Initially, such devices were produced by only two manufacturers - LG and HTC. Today on sale you can already find phones with excellent capabilities for recording video and creating photos from many other brands. The rating of smartphones with a dual camera will help you choose the right model. It should definitely be paid attention to people who have not yet decided which particular model will suit them. In addition, such devices have very good specifications, so they can satisfy the desires of users and serve them for a long time.

The Best Cheap Dual Camera Smartphones

The cost of a smartphone is one of the most important selection criteria. Buyers rarely ignore this moment, because few people want to spend extra money for the minimum amount of opportunities. Some users may find it surprising that there are cheap but functional phones on the market today. The four leading smartphones are just presented below.

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1. Xiaomi Redmi 6 3/32GB

The device from a popular manufacturer has a classic appearance and differs little in design from the rest of the products of this brand. In this case, there are only five color variations of the smartphone body: black, gray, blue, pink and gold.

The dual camera on the back cover is located horizontally, which allows you to comfortably take pictures.

Smartphone works on operating system Android version 8.1, supports two SIM cards and has a screen with a diagonal of 5.45 inches. The dual camera on the back with autofocus and LED flash has a resolution of 12MP and 5MP. The battery capacity is 3000 mAh. Additional features include voice control, as well as fingerprint, light and proximity sensors.
The average cost of a smartphone is 8 thousand rubles.

Advantages:

• the best dual camera for its price;
• durable case;
• high speed of reading a print;
• democratic price;
• good performance.

Flaws:

• front camera 5 MP;
• weak speakers on the back of the case.

2. Meizu M6T 2/16GB

A smartphone from an equally popular brand cannot but please customers. It attracts, first of all, the appearance, according to which we can safely talk about the solidity of the device. As a rule, people first pay attention to the back, where three main elements are beautifully arranged in a vertical order: a flash, a dual camera, a fingerprint scanner.

The device has a good battery with a capacity of 3300 mAh. The resolution of the rear dual camera is quite unexpected here - 13 megapixels and 2 megapixels. Pictures and videos are obtained with high quality both on the main camera and on the front one with a resolution of 8 megapixels.
You can buy a smartphone for an average of 7 thousand rubles.

Pros:

• ergonomics;
• good camera performance in the daytime and at night;
• holds a charge for about two days with moderate use;
• light indicator notifying you of missed calls and SMS.

Minuses:

• the minimum volume of built-in and random access memory.

3. Xiaomi Mi A2 4/64GB

A thin smartphone with a large screen does not differ much from competitors in terms of appearance. Here, the manufacturer preferred to arrange all the buttons, cameras and connectors so that it was convenient for the user. The main camera on the back of the case is in the upper right corner and is rotated vertically, like on most other models, so it won't take long to get used to it.

The dual camera has a high resolution - 12 megapixels and 20 megapixels. Also, for better picture quality, there is auto focus and a flash that can turn on independently in low light. Other important characteristics: screen - 5.99 inches with a picture of 2160 by 1080, built-in memory - 64 GB, eight-core Snapdragon 660, battery capacity - 3010 mAh. The average price of a smartphone with two amazing cameras reaches 13 thousand rubles.

Judging by customer reviews, in some cities the device is sold at a lower cost - 11,000-11,500 thousand rubles. Therefore, when purchasing this model, you should look at prices in real stores and on Internet resources so as not to spend extra money.

Advantages:

• excellent performance;
• luxury cameras;
• aluminium case;
• long operating time without recharging - up to 2 days;
• fast charging;
• thin and durable body.

Flaws:

• lack of NFC.

4. Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) 32GB

The recently released smartphone of a well-known brand by its name alone causes experienced users to associate with high quality and attractive appearance. The device has a rather thin body and is sold in black, gold, blue and gray colors.

Technical characteristics of the smartphone model are worthy of praise: 32 GB of internal memory, 6-inch screen, 3500 mAh battery. The dual camera on the back of the case is worth noting separately - it has a resolution of 16 megapixels and 5 megapixels, as well as a flash and autofocus. You can buy this model for an average of 14,500 rubles.

High-quality additions to the device in the form of a cover, protective glass and headphones are expensive. Therefore, to purchase a complete set at once, you will need to save a little more money.

Advantages:

• The camera shoots well in low light.
• high performance;
• amoled screen;
• separate slots for SIM-cards and memory cards;
• work speed.

Flaws:

• lack of light sensor;
• long charging.

The best smartphones with two cameras price-quality

Some people try to spend less money on a smartphone, paying attention only to the capabilities of the camera, while others choose a more profitable way and look for a model in which the price matches the options. This decision is quite reasonable, since it takes into account the rest of the characteristics of the phone. In the ranking of the best smartphones with a dual camera, there are only worthy devices, whose quality and cost will pleasantly please even the most picky buyer.

1. Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) 4/64GB

A model with a chic camera and an iridescent back surface that is simply impossible not to notice. Here, the manufacturer has removed all unnecessary details on the body, leaving only the logo, flash and camera on the back, as well as the sound and screen lock keys on the side.
The smartphone runs on Android 8.0 OS. Particularly strong delight among users causes a 6-inch AMOLED screen, which displays 16.78 million colors. At the back, there are as many as three main cameras - 24 megapixels, 5 megapixels, 8 megapixels, in front - only one with a resolution of 24 megapixels. Flash and autofocus are available on all listed smartphone cameras.

Users note that the image quality on video recorded using rear cameras is sometimes much better than photos taken in the same way, although this fact is not indicated in the specifications from the manufacturer.

The average cost of this device is 18-19 thousand rubles.

Advantages:

• excellent screen;
• fantastic cameras;
• appearance;
• fast fingerprint and face recognition;
• decent performance;
• separate slot for a memory card.

Flaws:

• no fast charging.

2. Honor 10 4/64GB

A decent smartphone with a good dual camera, as a rule, draws attention not only due to its appearance, but also due to its parameters. Although few people are surprised at the interesting design of Honor smartphones, it still remains relevant and is liked by the vast majority of buyers.

The beautiful rear camera is equipped with a macro mode, autofocus and flash, has a resolution of 16 megapixels and 24 megapixels. As for the front, it is not far behind the main one - 24 megapixels. This smartphone also has an 8-core processor, a 3400 mAh battery and a 5.84-inch IPS screen. Of the additional features, the manufacturer has provided: fast charging, light and fingerprint sensors, NFC, voice control, moderately bright flashlight.
The average cost of the device is 20,500 rubles.

Pros:

• fast charging function;
• beautiful glass case;
• amazing cameras;
• thermopolyurethane protective cover included;
• bright screen that quickly responds to user commands;
• the face recognition function works well;
• high-quality factory film on the screen;
• long time offline.

Minuses:

• decently heated in powerful games;
• lack of a slot for a memory card.

3. Xiaomi Mi8 Lite 6/128GB

A smartphone that performs well often receives reviews about its stylish design. Modern users especially like the perfect combination of colors on the back cover, which form a unique pattern. For such a smartphone model, you don’t even want to buy a case so as not to cover the iridescent colors on the back surface.

The kit includes a silicone case, which will be an excellent solution to protect the case and preserve the appearance of the pattern.

The device runs on Android OS version 8.1, which is highly appreciated by experienced users. The screen diagonal is 6.26 inches with a picture of 2280×1080. The dual camera, which is the main one, has a resolution of 12 megapixels and 5 megapixels. The battery capacity in this smartphone model is very decent for this price category - 3350 mAh, and the manufacturer has also introduced a fast charging function.

Advantages:

• decent performance;
• bright screen;
• amazing front camera;
• a new version of Android and an addition from the manufacturer - MIUI Global 10.0.3.0;
• memory size.

Flaws:

• without a case, the case is a little slippery;
• no NFC.

4. Huawei Mate 20 lite

One of the best smartphones for photos and videos boasts a matte finish in black and a nice glossy finish in other color variations. You can also buy it in gold, blue and other popular colors. Also, Huawei did not miss the opportunity to once again prove the ability to correctly place parts on the smartphone body - the cameras, a fingerprint scanner and a logo are vertically located on the back, and in front there is only a camera and a proximity sensor located side by side.

The characteristics of the device are very attractive: rear cameras - 20 MP and 2 MP, dual front camera - 24 plus 2 MP, screen size - 6.3 inches, processor with 8 cores, built-in memory - 64 GB. In addition, the device supports NFC, two nano-type SIM-cards, which can be switched between with one touch of a finger on the screen.

Advantages:

• high-quality screen;
• excellent cameras;
• protective case and protective film included;
• metal body;
• long work without charging;
• large amount of internal memory.

Flaws

• slippery without cover.

Best flagship smartphones with dual cameras

Although flagships are the preserve of a small group of users with an unlimited budget for purchases, they are really worth the money. Such phones are unlikely to be purchased by people for whom technical characteristics are not important. But true connoisseurs will appreciate the options, power and camera capabilities in expensive flagship smartphones, described below.

1.OnePlus 6 8/128GB

The flagship with a quality dual camera is thin and artful in appearance. Although it has a classic style, this design delights many buyers as it conveniently places the cameras, flash, fingerprint scanner and logo on the back. There are no buttons on the front, so the smartphone screen seems limitless.

The manufacturer, in addition to the appearance, decided to please users with a 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 impact-resistant glass, a powerful Snapdragon 845 processor, a screen size of as much as 6.28 inches and a dual rear camera with a resolution of 16 MP and 20 MP. Other characteristics are no less attractive: battery capacity - 3300 mAh, RAM - 8 GB, the presence of NFC, as well as optical stabilization.
This smartphone is sold for about 27-28 thousand rubles.

Pros:

• excellent performance;
• luxury cameras;
• rich screen picture;
• memory size;
• glass is not afraid of scratches;
• build quality.

2. Apple iPhone Xs 256GB

Many people know about the appearance of Apple products, in particular smartphones, so it makes no sense to describe it once again. The only thing worth noting is the absence of a round button in front, since only the lock and sound keys are provided for control, and the rest of the actions are carried out through the sensor.

The operating system in this smartphone is iOS 12. The built-in memory is 256 GB, which should be enough for users, since there is no memory card slot. The dual camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels and 12 megapixels. The autofocus function is especially good, which allows you to take high-quality pictures, including selfies.

Advantages:

• strong body;
• water protection;
• high quality cameras;
• optical stabilization and optical Zoom 2x;
• large amount of memory;
• excellent stereo speakers;
• Works well on both cellular and Wi-Fi.

Flaws:

• price.

3. Huawei P20 Pro

An amazing smartphone with a dual camera and a powerful battery grabs the first attention of buyers, usually with an unexpected placement of cameras, a flash and a logo on the back - all this is in a vertical position on the right side. There is one button in the front in the lower center, designed to go to the main screen. Although the brand is not premium today, this model is in great demand.

The device works with Android OS new version 8.1, has three amazing cameras on the back - 40 MP, 20 MP, 8 MP, built-in memory - 128 GB, as well as NFC. In addition, it is important to note a 6.1-inch AMOLED screen capable of recognizing 16.78 million colors, the presence of a moisture protection case and a 4000 mAh battery.

If you want to buy a flagship smartphone, you will need to count on a cost in the region of 39 thousand rubles.

Smartphone advantages:

• masterpiece photos due to 40 megapixel camera;
• great battery;
• work in talk mode for about a day;
• level of protection against water and dust - IP67
• price corresponding to the possibilities.

Flaws:

• lack of a slot for a memory card;
• speaker too narrow for talking on the phone.

What is the best smartphone with two cameras to buy

The review of smartphones with the best dual cameras directly indicates that you can take pictures and record videos even on mobile devices. If the purpose of purchasing a smartphone is to use the camera, you should consider your financial condition, as well as other technical characteristics. Numerous user reviews suggest that the cheapest dual camera devices are not far behind expensive smartphones. It follows that beginners, if they wish, can first try out inexpensive models until they manage to save up for a more functional device.

How can smartphone manufacturers surprise modern users? Technologies do not stand still, giving birth to new opportunities and thereby shaping fresh trends. New a feature that is gaining popularity is the dual main camera at smartphones. Back in the summer of last year, devices with such an opportunity were single, but now many well-known and Chinese companies are releasing smartphones with two cameras. Let's take a look at the best of them.

Any normal user should ask, and Why does a smartphone need two cameras?, and is this not a publicity stunt of manufacturers? The thing is that companies are gradually coming to the conclusion that the cameras in smartphones are already difficult to improve: neither increasing the size of the sensor, nor changing other parameters lead to significant progress in the quality of the resulting photos. The only way out is to increase the size of the camera, but then the phone will become much larger, so it is unlikely to find wide popularity among users.

The solution lay on the surface - equip the gadget with a second main camera. Since the technology is not yet mass-produced, manufacturers assign different functions to the additional module, but all solutions are aimed at improving photo quality. With the help of a dual camera, you can take pictures with different exposure settings and, by overlaying them, get a high-quality photo. Second chamber can be used for full optical zoom, and not digital, which is used in the vast majority of smartphones. With the optional camera, you can change the focus on finished shots, create blurred background. In some models, the second camera creates a black and white image, so the shooting process is fast and the photo quality is excellent.

Now let's see what the modern market offers us and take a look at the best dual camera smartphones of 2017.

The smartphone is equipped 20 megapixel color camera and 12 megapixel black and white camera fromLeica. The principle of their operation is as follows: the monochrome module takes a picture, while capturing as much light as possible, and thanks to the work of the color module, the resulting picture is then painted, allowing you to get a high-quality picture. The camera works clearly, autofocus works quickly, the picture is very high quality, there are ample opportunities for manual adjustment of shooting parameters. The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels.

Other characteristics of the novelty also delight. The gadget received a metal case and curved display with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and a resolution of 2560 * 1440 made by technology AMOLED. Responsible for performance 8-core processor, whose cores operate at a frequency 2.4 and 1.8 GHz. stock RAM 4 and 6 GB in different versions, the main one is 64 and 128 GB, respectively. The gadget received a fingerprint scanner, an infrared port, 4000 mAh battery and fast charging function. Delight, not apparatus! The price starts from $760.

LG V20

Oukitel U20 Plus

it cheapest dual camera smartphone but at the same time it is high quality and functional. It costs only $88 and proves to users around the world that a dual camera and the ability to take high-quality photos is not only an opportunity for flagships. For a ridiculous price, you can get not just a productive device, but also quite nice. In its design, you can see something in common with the latest iPhones, and metal case together with 2.5D- glass makes a lasting impression.

Most Affordable Dual Camera Smartphone received a 13 megapixel module fromSonywith interpolation up to 16 MP and an additional VGA camera. Photos get excellent detail, and it also becomes possible to take pictures with a blurry background. The front camera received a resolution of 5 megapixels, screen resolutionFull HDand a diagonal of 5.5 inches is distinguished by the presence of a protective glass. Uses a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB main memory. There is a fingerprint scanner, two SIM card slots, support for 4G, battery capacity 3300 mAh. This smartphone is worth taking even for those who do not put a prerequisite for the presence of a dual camera – the model is good in all respects and perfectly balanced in terms of price and quality.

Today, many smartphones are equipped with a dual photomodule. This allows you to get spectacular background blur when shooting macro and portraits, sharper shots, lossless zoom or wide-angle photos.

In this article, we have collected the best models based on expert opinions (DxOmark, CNet, Techradar) and consumer reviews.

Probably the best phone you can buy today. This also applies to him. A dual module of 12 megapixels with optical stabilization was used. One lens is wide-angle with f/1.8 aperture, the second is f/2.4 telephoto lens (this allows you to realize high-quality 2x zoom). The pictures are clear, juicy, macro like from DSLR-devices. The 7-megapixel front camera is also good.

We note decent autonomy, a productive chipset, a Face ID face recognition system, protection against water and dust according to the IP67 standard. There are also shortcomings: there is no fingerprint scanner (but this is a matter of habit), a slot for memory cards and a very, very high price.

Characteristics

• Display: 5.8 inches (2436 × 1125 pixels).
• Processor: Apple A11 Bionic.
• Memory: 3 GB RAM, from 64 GB ROM.
• Cameras: main - 12 + 12 Mp, front - 7 Mp.
• OS: iOS 11.
• Price: from 66,000 rubles.

Probably the second best phone you can buy today. Unlike the previous generation, the S9 Plus model received a dual 12-megapixel camera module (the regular S9 has a single one). And - after all, you need to somehow persuade people to upgrade from S8 - Samsung swears that they have reinvented the camera. And this is not a marketing ploy. World's first camera with variable aperture (from f/2.4 to f/1.5). This brings the S9 Plus as close to DSLR as possible and allows the device to adapt to different shooting conditions. For example, when shooting landscapes, the light is very natural, and in the dark, the pictures come out super clear and bright (as far as possible).

The modules also have optical stabilization, options for super slow motion and noise removal (when 12 shots are taken at the same time and one almost perfect is created), a double zoom is available without loss of quality. The front camera (8 MP, f/1.7) blurs the background well and takes great shots.

Among other features: a powerful hardware platform, a retinal scanner, IP68 moisture protection, a slot for memory cards up to 400 GB, stereo speakers. In the reviews, someone complains about the active post-processing of images, someone about the low battery capacity, but this is not very critical.

Characteristics

• Display: 6.2 inches (2960 × 1440 pixels).
• Processor: Exynos 9810.
• Memory: 6 GB RAM, from 64 GB ROM + microSD slot.
• Cameras: main - 12 + 12 Mp, front - 8 Mp.
• Battery: 3500 mAh
• OS: Android 8.0.
• Price: from 67,000 rubles.

The DxOMark website claims that this is the best camera phone on the market today. There are already three “eyes” on the rear panel of the device: a dual module (main sensor size 1/1.7″, f/1.8 aperture, resolution 40 MP + monochrome 20-megapixel sensor with a 1/2.7″ matrix and f/1.6 aperture) + 8MP telephoto lens with 80mm focal length and f/2.4 aperture. The smartphone boasts 3x optical and 5x hybrid zoom, the ability to shoot at high ISO 102400 and Super Slow-Mo, an intelligent optical stabilization system and advanced autofocus, and an equally advanced 24-megapixel front camera.

Before us is a model with outstanding cameras. Everyone notes high-quality and extremely clear pictures under any lighting conditions, in black and white mode. Among other things, P20 Pro is a flagship with top-end “stuffing”. Please note that there is no slot for memory cards, but 128 GB in the base modification compensates for this.

Characteristics

• Display: 6.1 inches (2240 ​​× 1080 pixels).
• Memory: 6 GB RAM, 128 GB ROM.
• Cameras: main - 40 + 20 + 8 MP, front - 24 MP.
• Battery: 4000 mAh
• OS: Android 8.1.
• Price: from 55,000 rubles.

Not such a "cunning" option, but more affordable. The dual camera under the Leica brand is distinguished by two modules (12 + 20 MP, one monochrome, f / 1.6 aperture) with optical stabilization and a double hybrid zoom. The pictures are good both from the main camera and from the front one at 8 megapixels (but there is a minus - it has a fixed focus). Huawei relies on artificial intelligence technologies - object recognition.

And otherwise, a good device for your money: a top-end chipset, IP67 moisture protection, a capacious, attractive glass case (but quite easily soiled). There is no slot for memory cards.

Characteristics

• Display: 6 inches (2160 × 1080 pixels).
• Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 970.
• Memory: from 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM.
• Cameras: main - 12 + 20 MP, front - 8 MP.
• Battery: 4000 mAh
• OS: Android 8.0.
• Price: from 40,000 rubles.

Honor is the "daughter" of Huawei, as you probably know. At the same time, both brands now produce strong models at good prices and compete with each other with might and main. The new Honor 10 can be called a budget flagship. It is distinguished by an affordable price, an iridescent glass case, a fashionable design with a notch, a dual camera module (24 + 16 MP, one monochrome sensor, there are AI functions) and, if not a top-end, but productive hardware stuffing. There is no slot for memory cards. The pictures are very good, but in low light conditions the quality is reduced.

Characteristics

• Display: 5.84 inches (2280 × 1080 pixels).
• Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 970.
• Memory: 4 GB RAM, from 64 GB ROM.
• Cameras: main - 24 + 16 MP, front - 24 MP.
• Battery: 3400 mAh.
• OS: Android 8.1.
• Price: from 27,000 rubles.

The latest flagship from the Chinese. Of course, with top hardware and a dual camera. Modules with f / 1.8 and f / 2.4 apertures are used, a two-fold zoom is available without loss of quality, optical stabilization. Again, artificial intelligence technologies are offered to determine the content and select the best settings. The device just went on sale, but judging by the first reviews and test results of the same DxOMark, the camera turned out to be successful. The front-facing 20-megapixel module with f / 2.0 aperture is also excellent and uses different “beautification” modes.

The smartphone is beautiful (although it obviously copies the iPhone X), only the relatively low battery capacity is frustrating. The device has not yet “arrived” in Russia, but it can be purchased on AliExpress.

Characteristics

• Display: 6.21 inches (2280 × 1080 pixels).
• Memory: 6 GB RAM, from 64 GB ROM.
• Cameras: main - 12 + 12 Mp, front - 20 Mp.
• Battery: 3300 mAh
• OS: Android 8.1.
• Price: from 35,000 rubles.

Another advanced Chinese flagship, which has become a bright novelty of the last month. The case is made of metal and glass, the screen with a “bangs” and minimal frames. Not a copy of the iPhone, but beautiful. Iron is traditionally for OnePlus "at the forefront of attack." They also tried to make the camera stand out. Two modules from Sony are used: a 16-megapixel IMX 519 with optical stabilization and f / 1.7 aperture, and a 20-megapixel IMX 376K. To demonstrate the shooting capabilities of the OnePlus 6, a model was even captured on the cover of Indian Vogue. The manufacturer offers an improved HDR mode and automatic selection of shooting parameters depending on the scene.

Everything is good, but I would like the battery to be more capacious. And keep in mind: there is no memory card slot, like the Mi8. Looks like he's starting to fade away?

Characteristics

• Display: 6.28 inches (2280 × 1080 pixels).
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.
• Memory: from 6 GB of RAM, from 64 GB of ROM.

DxOmark believes that this smartphone ranks second in terms of its photo capabilities. - the first flagship of the company after a long break, which has a dual camera (recall that the brand was once a pioneer in the market, introducing a model with a dual camera and a 3D screen). It uses a 12-megapixel wide-angle module (f / 1.75, optical stabilization) and a 16-megapixel telephoto camera with a 54mm f / 2.6 lens. This bundle allows you to do a double zoom without loss of quality. We also note the brand's traditional UltraPixel 4 technology (larger pixels receive more light).

The smartphone has a Pro manual shooting mode and RAW support. The Ultraspeed Autofocus 2 system (a combination of phase and laser autofocus) ensures sharp focusing. Video recording is supported in 4K at 60 fps. The pictures are beautiful good effect bokeh. This also applies to the front module: it is also double.

Otherwise, we have a top-end novelty based on Qualcomm 845 with IP68 water protection and the Edge Sense option (you can squeeze the edges of the smartphone to activate some functions). And the U12+ has a translucent body. That's just the gadget is too expensive for a model from a company that can hardly keep afloat.

Characteristics

• Display: 6 inches (2880 × 1440 pixels).
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.
• Memory: 6 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM, microSD card slot.
• Cameras: main - 12 + 16 MP, front - 8 + 8 MP.
• Battery: 3500 mAh.
• OS: Android 8.0.
• Price: from 59,000 rubles.

As soon as last year there were rumors that Apple wants to make a smartphone, where there will be two modules at once, manufacturers were seriously alarmed and began to make two-eyed smartphones intermittently.

Some did well, some didn't, and some just didn't. But what are the real benefits of a dual camera? How does it work, what does it give and what is better - a smartphone with one or two modules?

Principle of operation

The dual camera works in the same way as the single camera. Light passing through the lens hits the matrix, the processor reads the information from the sensor and converts it into a photo or video.

With dual cameras, everything is the same, only instead of one matrix there are two that work independently of each other, which means that all processing and gluing of images takes place in the processor and the more advanced it is, the better the pictures will be.

Software algorithms are also important for high-quality photos, and what functions the second module has depends on what the manufacturer provides.

optical zoom

For example, the second camera on the iPhone 7 Plus is for optical zoom. The first module shoots with a wide-angle lens, and the second telephoto lens allows you to get zoomed photos without losing quality.

Previously, the zoom in smartphones was mostly digital, that is, the smartphone took a large photo at 16 megapixels and cropped the necessary fragment programmatically (for example, 2 times) and the photo was no longer 16 megapixels, but only 8 megapixels, and the quality was lost accordingly. Now the second module has an optical zoom, that is, a photo enlarged by 2 times is obtained without loss of quality. But not all manufacturers have gone down this path.

Increasing the dynamic range

Some use the second module for other purposes. Like, for example, the dual camera in Huawei P20. It was not created for zoom, but to increase the dynamic range and it is not capable of zoom. She has a regular module, and the second is monochrome and shoots only in black and white. According to the developers, this gives more details in the shadows, and the pictures themselves are better in quality, although only a professional can see the difference.

Detail enhancement

Manufacturers do not always insert the same dies in both modules. More often, one module is made with a smaller number of megapixels, but at the same time with a larger aperture. And the second with a large number of megapixels, but less aperture.

Combining two such photographs, you can get a more detailed picture. Because information about colors is taken from the first picture, and information about the details from the second.

Focus change

Also, some manufacturers use a second module to take pictures with interchangeable focus. That is, first you took a photo, and then changed the focus point in the gallery, if necessary.

And finally, any smartphone with a dual camera can blur the background, or rather create the effect of depth of field (bokeh).

In fact, blurring occurs programmatically. The second camera is needed to more accurately determine the object in space. The processor takes two shots on both cameras, compares them and determines which object you wanted to place in the foreground, after which it applies a real-time filter and sort of blurs the background. In this case, you can often set the degree of background blur to the image yourself. This is called software aperture. The more the aperture is opened, the more the background will be blurred, but most important details will be lost from the picture and vice versa.

Software algorithms

When dealing with a dual camera, the software algorithms that process the image are very important. If the algorithms are correct and work without errors, then the blurring of the background occurs correctly - the necessary objects are not erased, and the edges come out smooth.

At the moment, there is no such camera that always and accurately determines where the object ends and the background begins.

The Best Dual Camera Smartphones

Here are a few smartphone models that take pictures with their dual camera the best.

One Plus 5
Smartphone OnePlus 5

Xiaomi Mi6
Smartphone Xiaomi Mi 6 4GB / 64GB

Huawei P20
Smartphone Huawei P20

ZTE Nubia Z17
Smartphone ZTE Nubia Z17s 128GB

The pictures they take are of the highest quality. But the last model from the list is not worth buying yet, since there is still raw firmware, you need to wait until the fall. The iPhone 7 Plus is also known to blur backgrounds quite well.

Mostly expensive models got into our review, there are also cheaper options with two cameras - Doogee Shoot 2, Leagoo M8 Pro.

But you should not expect high-quality images from smartphones costing about $100, they do not determine the position of the object, but simply “soap” everything that is possible and impossible.

It is unlikely that you will be able to get a correct picture on such a smartphone. As practice shows, budget smartphones with a price of less than $ 150 do not know how to work normally with a dual camera and you should not take them just for the sake of it.

The cost of smartphones with dual cameras

All this is certainly good, but how does the presence of a dual module affect the cost of a smartphone? Naturally, there are more components, the assembly becomes more complicated, and the manufacturer needs to improve the software in order to adequately use the second module. And all this requires additional costs. However, in fact, devices with a dual camera and a single camera are almost the same in price. So most likely the addition of an additional module has little effect on the cost of the product and the price changes slightly.

Do you need a dual camera

After weighing all the pros and cons, we can say that the presence of a dual camera is more of a plus than a disadvantage. Objectively, if this does not affect the price and brings additional benefits, then why not?

The most adequate use of the second camera is an optical zoom. We are all used to the fact that a smartphone has a fixed viewing angle, and in order to enlarge an object without losing quality, you must first approach it. The second telephoto lens solves this problem - I saw a beautiful frame, pressed the button, zoomed in and got a good shot. This is what makes life easier for a mobile photographer.

In addition, if you do not overdo it with the opening of the software aperture, you can get great shots, adding artistry to your pictures. That is why, when choosing a smartphone today, we prefer a device with two cameras than one. Because, if you don’t want to, you can not use the second module, and at the moment when you need a zoom, it will always be at hand.

What to expect in the future

How will the industry develop further, where will the trends go and how will we be able to modify cameras in the future? What other uses can be found for the dual module? In our opinion, progress will not stop at just two modules, there are already smartphones with three cameras.

Perhaps four modules with a resolution of 16 megapixels, combined into one conglomerate, will help in the future to receive high-quality 40-megapixel images. Each camera will take a picture of its area, after which the processor will “glue” them into one large canvas. This is now used in panoramic mode in smartphones, but taking large pictures is still not so easy.