Samsung’s 1-9x continuous optical zoom and Tecno’s new smartphone camera modules

Samsung is gearing up to bring a new mobile camera lens to market that supports true continuous optical zoom from 1x to 9x, much like professional cameras. The company has long built components for smartphones, and this move further cements its status as a major force in mobile optics.

Meanwhile, China’s Tecno has announced two new optical-zoom modules: a dual-mirror telephoto and the Freeform Continuum. Samsung and Taiwan’s Largan will manufacture the lenses. Tecno says the mirror telephoto will reach devices next year, while the Freeform Continuum is slated to arrive a year later.

The mirror telephoto lens uses two reflective elements, making the design 50% more compact than conventional zoom lenses. It produces a distinctive ring-shaped bokeh, echoing mirror lenses from the DSLR and mirrorless world. The trade-off is reduced light intake: this layout lets less light through.

More intriguing is the Freeform Continuum module, which operates on a periscope-style principle with smooth optical zoom across the 1–9x range. The concept recalls work by Sony and LG, but relies on a single module rather than several. That architecture offers clear advantages: consistently high detail at any focal length; seamless scaling without the jumps that happen when switching between separate cameras; and better image quality by tapping a larger main sensor.

Even so, the Sony Xperia 1 VII experience suggests that continuous zoom can lag behind fixed-focal lenses in sharpness. It remains to be seen whether Tecno has addressed that weakness in its implementation.

If the technology proves out, similar modules could find their way into premium smartphones. For Samsung, the timing is apt: the company has already developed a compact, wide-aperture All Lenses on Prism (ALoP) module, though it doesn’t yet support continuous zoom. Folding a true continuous system into future Galaxy devices would look like a natural next step.