Dual-Camera Smartphones That Launched Much Before The iPhone 7 Plus

LG, HTC, and Huawei have been making dual-camera system for years.

Chandrakant 'CK' Isi
14th Sep 2016

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Dual-Camera Smartphones That Launched Much Before The iPhone 7 Plus

This year's iPhone launch was a mixed bag. Fans were mostly disappointed by the lack of a fresh design. At the same time, careless snobs were pleased by the iPhone's new water-repelling skills. Opinions were divided on the exclusion of the 3.5 mm jack. However, one things that got everyone excited was the iPhone 7 Plus' dual-camera setup. The phone's 12-megapixel camera module is coupled with 12-megapixel telephoto lens to help you zoom-in better. The additional lens also enables depth of field effect on the iPhone. Apple claims that their latest phone can capture the bokeh effect, which was previously reserved for the DSLR cameras. I don't doubt Apple's expertise in the photography department, but lets face it that the Cupertino company isn't the first one to implement such camera assembly in mobiles. Don't take my word for it, here's a quick list of smartphones that featured the dual-camera setup before the iPhone.

LG Optimus 3D
The Samsung SCH-B710 feature phone may have pioneered the dual-camera setup, but as far as the smartphones are concerned, LG's Optimus 3D was the first handset two lenses. Launched in 2011, the handset had a 5-megapixel dual camera meant for snapping stereoscopic (3D) images. To display 3D photographs, the Optimus 3D was equipped with a 3D screen, which was incredibly effective at causing headache and nausea.

HTC Evo 3D
The Evo 3D was HTC's answer to the Optimus 3D. The Taiwanese company's handset too featured a 5-megapixel dual-lens assembly to capture 3D images. The Evo 3D's screen packed in more pixel than its Korean competitor, but consuming stereoscopic content was a headache inducing affair nonetheless. At the launch, the HTC Evo 3D was priced at Rs 34,800.

HTC One M8
After the spectacular failure of the Evo 3D, HTC took three years to relight its love for dual cameras. This time around, the Taiwanese brand had a more sensible approach towards two camera system. The flagship phone M8's main camera was backed by a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Much like what Apple promises to offer today, the HTC One M8 made it possible for users to fiddle with the depth of field in 2014.

Huawei Honor 6 Plus
While the HTC One M8 was held back by a 4-megapixel camera, the Honor 6 Plus showed the world what a well thought-out dual camera can deliver. Huawei's phone comes with two 8-megapixel sensors. Like the HTC One M8, the Honor 6 Plus uses depth data to enable users to tinker with the focus point even after snapping a photograph. In terms of quality, the Honor 6 Plus has to be the best performing dual-camera so far.