Samsung Galaxy S30 series may not sport 'time of flight' sensor.
Like the recently-released Galaxy Note20 series, the Samsung Galaxy S30 series may also not carry the 3D time-of-flight (ToF) sensor found in the Galaxy S20+ and S20 Ultra and last year's Galaxy S10 and Note10 lines. A report from Korean publication The Elec claimed that "Samsung is concerned that its indirect ToF system isn't as good as Apple's LiDAR technology to create AR experiences".
While Apple uses a 'direct' ToF sensor with a LiDAR module, Samsung's sensor uses 'indirect' ToF. As a result, Apple's cameras have up to a two-times advantage in range, capable of measuring distances up to six metres, while Samsung's sensor can achieve a range of about three metres, reports Android Central.
A time-of-flight sensor on a smartphone sends out pulses of light undetectable to the human eye. Usually an infrared light, the beams bounce off a subject and return to the device, thus helping create a better AR system.
Neither Samsung nor Apple directly manufacture their ToF sensors and buy the components from Sony. "Apple reportedly has an exclusivity contract with Sony for the direct ToF technology, leaving only the indirect variant available for Samsung and other manufacturers".
However, the upcoming flagships from Samsung will have super imaging technology. The S20 Ultra successor is likely to sport a 150MP primary camera.
The Galaxy S30 may be powered by the Snapdragon 875 Mobile Platform or Samsung's indigenous Exynos 1000.
