Is the Galaxy S22's super periscope camera a scary threat to other people's privacy?
Huawei P30 Pro launched in March 2019 has changed the standard of photography when taking zooming to a new level. At that time, the super wide-angle camera was the focus. But the camera that can zoom 50x is still more impressive.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra has a 100x digital zoom camera.
Now, the long-range zoom camera on phones is:
● Spotlight on most flagships
● Always a cool feature
● Inspiring artistic creation
Street photography, architecture, wildlife, portraits, action/sports, etc. are just a part of the amazing zoom lenses on smartphones!
The ability to take long zoom photos on the phone is also very practical in cases of viewing signs from a distance; Videotape your child's school performance from afar, or get a close-up look at the soccer star at the stadium,...
But everything has a downside!
Far zoom on Galaxy S22 Ultra and Google Pixel 6 Pro: Super dangerous
With impressive zoom capabilities, the zoom camera can… keep an eye on people.
20x zoom photo of Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone 13 .
Galaxy S22 Ultra can capture quite clear images at 10-100x zoom. They are loved by technology fans, but it is very dangerous for users to take private pictures of others and share them on social networks.
So should we ban/restrict far zoom on phones?
With the previous "Huawei Ban", there were a lot of conspiracy theories surrounding why Huawei was banned from doing business with US companies (which led to the company's downfall in Western markets).
The 100x zoom camera on the Galaxy S22 Ultra raises concerns about image privacy.
One of the "real reasons the US banned Huawei is because of its 'crazy' 50x super spy lens". DailyMail newspaper published the story, accompanied by a video of Huawei P30 Pro zooming in on the boys playing chess.
Of course, the reason is not entirely in this, as the Galaxy S22 Ultra is now capable of 3x zoom compared to the P30 Pro and is still sold in the US!
Active shots on Pixel 6 Pro can capture every private moment even when the subject is moving.
Before that, in 2020, the new 5MP sensor on the OnePlus 8 Pro lacked the usual infrared and color filters. This camera allows the OnePlus 8 Pro to see through certain objects, including clothing, just like taking an X-ray. OnePlus had to disable the feature in China and India but later re-enabled the feature after the "tweak" was made.
No one wants to be tracked!
Despite some conspiracy theories and cameras that can see through clothes, governments around the world are not getting involved in the smartphone camera business. Any phone maker would argue that government regulations will stifle innovation.
Photo 50x zoom on Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The latest evidence is that the iPhone will have to give up the Lightning port to switch to using USB-C because of new laws from the European Union.
But zoom cameras more or less raise privacy concerns, bad guys can completely take advantage of them to steal your personal information, spy on you or even listen to your conversations. The truth is, phones like the Pixel 6 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra can even magnify your sound.
20x zoom photo on Galaxy S22 Ultra.
This is achieved by using AI – Artificial Intelligence and the microphone on the phone to isolate the sound coming from a distant subject. They will be very useful when you want to record the sound of a concert, the performance of a street musician, but from a distance.
Of course, everything depends on your own perception of what is acceptable and what is not. Above all, these flagships that possess this zoom capability: Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 6 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max , etc. are all expensive, so their owners can imagine the seriousness of the matter.