One of the best features of the Huawei P30 Pro is its highly advanced camera, which uses a periscope-like design to deliver a 5x optical zoom and 10x hybrid zoom that produces amazing results. It's the best camera phone period.

But now it looks like Samsung will be stealing Huawei’s thunder.

According to Korean news outlet ETNews, Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed an ultra-slim optical 5x zoom camera module. It should “eliminate the protruding part of the smartphone” and starts in mass production this month.



You can see the early results below, where the camera can zoom in on a field of flowers to focus on just a narrow bunch of them.

(Image credit: Samsung Electro-Mechanics)

As ETNews reports, the periscope design, which refracts incoming light at right angels, allows for powerful optical zoom without increasing thickness. That’s because the lenses and sensors don’t have to be stacked vertically.



If you’re wondering whether this camera will make it into the Galaxy Note 10, it’s possible, but that would probably be cutting it too close, as Samsung is expected to introduce its new flagship phone in August.



Plus, as PhoneArena notes, the specs of what are supposed to be the Galaxy Note 10 Pro and Galaxy Note 10 have already leaked, and the rumors have not mentioned a 5x zoom camera up until now. The Note 10 Pro is expected to pack four cameras on the back, including the same time-of-fight sensor found on the Galaxy S10 5G. While the Galaxy Note 10 should feature a three-camera setup like the Galaxy S10 Plus. Both should max out with a 2x zoom.

So what could get this 5x zoom camera first? Famed leaker Ice Universe has posted on Twitter that “the most creative Samsung smartphone in the second half is not Fold or Note 10.” But he didn’t provide any other details.



It’s possible that Samsung could bring this camera to a mid-range A series phone, a line that is reportedly coming to the U.S. Or maybe Samsung will debut a new phone explicitly targeted at photographers.



We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, get caught up on all of the latest Galaxy Note 10 rumors ahead of its release