Samsung is bringing bokeh camera effects to cheaper phones

Portrait mode-style bokeh camera features have largely been the realm of high-end flagships to this point. That’s due, in part to the fact that many device makers rely on a dual-camera system to create the effect, driving up prices in the process. Samsung is getting ready to change that soon, however, with a plan to bring its version of the tech to mid-range and entry-level handsets.

The company’s not talking specifics here, with regard to which models will actually be getting the technology or when. Of course, it seems like a no-brainer that Samsung’s own many mid-level devices get first dibs, but the company is well positioned as a component maker for so many different manufactures, I’d anticipate the feature will be arriving on third-party phones, as well.

Of course, Sony still holds the top spot for camera image sensors, in spite of having less success with its own phones, but Samsung’s got a pretty decent chunk of the market, as well. 

The company’s implementation of the technology is one of the more compelling among flagships. Introduced with the Galaxy Note 8, the tech offers a more customizable depth-of-field effect than many competitors.

Since the deal involves both its proprietary image sensors and software algorithms, that likely means that the full package will be arriving on any devices that choose to implement it. The package also includes improved low light shooting, courtesy of a pair of eight-megapixel sensors.