{"id":19937,"date":"2023-03-20T16:03:22","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T10:33:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magicsheds.in\/index.php\/2023\/03\/20\/last-phone-with-single-rear-camera\/"},"modified":"2023-03-20T16:03:22","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T10:33:22","slug":"last-phone-with-single-rear-camera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magicsheds.in\/index.php\/2023\/03\/20\/last-phone-with-single-rear-camera\/","title":{"rendered":"Last phone with single rear camera"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The world of smartphones is constantly evolving, with manufacturers introducing new features and technologies with every iteration. One of the most significant developments in recent years has been the move towards multiple cameras on the back of smartphones, which has become increasingly common on high-end devices. Many smartphones now have two, three or even four lenses on the back.<\/p>\n

However, having multiple lenses doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll give you better camera quality, in fact, it’s intended to give users more flexibility when taking photos. Instead of having a single lens that could do it all, manufacturers began offering multiple lenses with different features. Think of it like a DSLR camera with interchangeable lenses. However, there was something special about having only one camera unit in a phone. Maybe it’s the simplicity of it all? Or maybe it was because the producers could focus all their attention on one camera? Regardless, the smartphone with the single rear camera took some incredibly good images, thanks to their concentration on a single sensor and software processing. In this article, let us take a look at the last smartphones from major brands that brought a single rear camera lens. <\/p>\n

Note that we will limit this list to devices that cost Rs 25,000 and above. Some manufacturers (such as Nokia) continue to offer single rear camera smartphones in the budget segment.<\/p>\n

1. Google Pixel 4a<\/h2>\n
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The Google Pixel 4a was probably the last of its kind to come with a single-camera setup and can still hold its own against flagship devices. This was achieved partly due to Google’s dominance in computational photography, which became the hallmark of the Google Pixel series. This smartphone was launched in August 2020 at a starting price of Rs 31,999. <\/p>\n

In terms of specifications, you will find a compact 5.8-inch hole-punch AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G SoC, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage, a USB 3.1 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Of course the magic of this smartphone lies in the cameras. The single 12.2MP Sony IMX363 sensor may not sound like much, but combined with Google’s computational photography algorithms, it takes pictures like a boss, with good focus on contrast and human skin tones. The 8MP front-facing selfie camera was also no less.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Pixel 4a has dual stereo speakers, near-stock Android, and Pixel-exclusive features like unlimited storage in Google Photos. The smartphone received its last major OS update, Android 13, in 2022.<\/p>\n

2. Apple iPhone SE (2022)<\/h2>\n
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While most high-end smartphones have moved to multi-camera setups, there is one that still offers a single-camera setup, the Apple iPhone SE (2022). As one of the newest phones on this list, it is also one of the most powerful thanks to the A15 Bionic chipset. It is also the only one that supports the latest computational algorithms like Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion. <\/p>\n

On the surface, the iPhone SE (2022) looks like a standard run-of-the-mill flagship smartphone with a metal glass-sandwich design, IP68 water and dust resistance rating, wireless charging, and Touch ID. In addition, you get the benefit of the Apple ecosystem such as AirDrop and iMessage. This smartphone was released in March 2022, so Apple will continue to support the phone for many years to come. The smartphone sells for around Rs 49,900 in India for the base 64GB variant.<\/p>\n

3. Samsung Galaxy S9<\/h2>\n
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Samsung, the world’s second largest smartphone company, has also released some great phones over the years. The Galaxy S series has been their main flagship offering since 2010, and the Galaxy S9 (launched in 2018) was no exception. It was their original offering alongside the S9 Plus, and both had some great features.<\/p>\n

The Galaxy S9 was a metal glass-sandwich design with an IP68 water and dust resistance rating. The front of the device flaunts a beautiful 5.8-inch 1440p Super AMOLED display with HDR10 support and 3D Touch feature for the home button for good haptic feedback. Chipsets were different depending on where you were living. For the West, the Galaxy S9 was powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 while for India, the smartphone was powered by the Exynos 9810.<\/p>\n

The battery capacity was 3000 mAh, which does not seem like a lot compared to the current generation of smartphones, but it was quite good for that time. The single 12MP rear-facing camera with OIS was an excellent shooter and was capable of recording 4K videos at 60 frames per second. In fact, this smartphone was one of the very few that could shoot insane slo-mo videos at 960 frames per second! (albeit at a low resolution of ‘only’ 720p).<\/p>\n

The 8MP selfie camera also had some cool features. You can make dual video calls using both cameras simultaneously, as well as an auto HDR that will correct exposure levels on subjects under harsh sunlight.<\/p>\n

The Galaxy S9 also had some interesting features that aren’t really present on today’s flagships. The phone had an iris scanner for biometric authentication, and MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission), which mimicked magnetic stripe cards so you could pay even at older POS machines. It also had a dedicated heart rate and SpO2 sensor below the LED flash.<\/p>\n

This smartphone was launched in February 2018 for a price of Rs 57,900 with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM.<\/p>\n

4. OnePlus 3T<\/h2>\n
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OnePlus was the original ‘flagship killer’ when it comes to smartphones. It was meant to prove that flagship phones don’t have to be that expensive. Initially, the company followed a system of launching one device per year, but by the time the OnePlus 3 was launched, the company felt it could do better. The OnePlus 3T had some minor upgrades like an upgraded Snapdragon 821 chip, increased battery capacity, and some cool finishes like Gunmetal Gray and Midnight Black to make it stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n

This smartphone had a unibody aluminum design, whose front display was protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display was excellent, with 1080p resolution and vibrant colors.<\/p>\n

The 16MP rear-facing camera came with OIS and did its job well. You can record video at up to 4K at 30 frames per second. The front-facing camera was also of the same resolution, albeit with a different sensor (the Sony IMX471 that is still used in the OnePlus 11 series today).<\/p>\n

The 20W Dash Charging was incredibly fast and could charge the smartphone from 0 percent to full in about 1.5 hours. It was a convenient feature and one of the first devices to offer fast charging as standard. This phone was launched at a price of Rs 29,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage variant.<\/p>\n

5. Motorola Moto Z and Moto Z Force <\/h2>\n
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The Moto Z series were some of the best smartphones released by Motorola. Both the Moto Z and Moto Z Force were flagship smartphones with some great features. The phones were powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, and the displays were 5.5-inch 1440p AMOLED displays. The only differences between the Moto Z and Moto Z Force are that the Moto Z Force has shatterproof glass, a larger 3500 mAh battery (as opposed to the 2600 mAh battery on the Moto Z) and a higher resolution 21MP rear main camera (compared to the 13MP one). Was. on the Moto Z). <\/p>\n

The unique feature of the Moto Z series was Moto Mods. They were essentially magnetic snap-on accessories that would extend the functionality of the device. Some of the popular modes at that time were JBL Speaker Mode, Battery Bank Mode and Projector Mode. <\/p>\n

These smartphones were launched in 2016 and Moto Z price in India was Rs.39,999. The Moto Z Force was only available in the USA for a price of $720 (roughly Rs. 50,000).<\/p>\n

6. Xiaomi Mi 5<\/h2>\n
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Xiaomi Mi 5 was a flagship smartphone released in 2016. It featured a 5.15-inch 1080p IPS LCD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The specs were pretty powerful (for the time) with the Snapdragon 820 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. The rear camera was a 16MP sensor with OIS and the selfie camera was a 4MP UltraPixel sensor.<\/p>\n

The 3000 mAh battery was decent and supported 18W quick charging. This smartphone was launched in 2016. The software was good with MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The price of Mi 5 at the time of launch was Rs 24,999.<\/p>\n

7. Sony Xperia Ace<\/h2>\n
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The Xperia Ace is technically the last Sony smartphone to be released with a single rear camera. It was also the famous Xperia XZ4 Compact that never made its way to the global markets and was limited to Japan. The compact smartphone flaunts a 5-inch LCD with FHD+ resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The front sports the classic large Sony bezels along with the dual speaker setup and 8MP selfie cam.<\/p>\n

Inside, the phone is powered by the Snapdragon 630 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is expandable. At the back, there was a 12MP combined with an LED flash. On the right side are the fingerprint sensor and volume buttons. In terms of battery, you are looking at a 2700 mAh cell with 18W quick charging.<\/p>\n

The smartphone was released in May 2019 with a price tag of JYP 48,600 (or approximately Rs 31,000).<\/p>\n

8. Huawei Mate 8<\/h2>\n
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The Huawei Mate 8 was a beautiful flagship smartphone released by Huawei in 2015. It had a unibody aluminum construction, with a 6-inch IPS NEO LCD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on the front. The smartphone was powered by Huawei’s own Kirin 950 chipset and backed by a massive 4000mAh battery. <\/p>\n

The single 16MP rear camera with OIS can record video at up to 1080p at 60fps, and the 8MP selfie camera is also good enough with 1080p video at 30fps. The software powering this smartphone was EMUI based on Android 6.0, it has some cool features like knuckle gesture, where you can launch apps with your finger.<\/p>\n

9. Asus Zenfone AR<\/h2>\n
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Released in 2017, the ASUS Zenfone AR was one of the best smartphones released by the company. It had support for Google Tango, where it would use cameras and AR (augmented reality) to help you measure stuff in your home to play AR games. This phone had a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.<\/p>\n

The single 23MP rear-facing camera with OIS was decent enough for photos and videos. You can also record videos up to 4K at 24 fps on this smartphone. In the case of selfies, the 8MP camera was considered more than enough. The price was around $600 (approximately Rs. 39,000), which was quite high at the time, just to use Google Tango. Support for which was discontinued in 2018.<\/p>\n

10. Oppo R9s Plus<\/h2>\n
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The OPPO R9s Plus was an upper midrange smartphone released by OPPO in December 2016. It was the bigger sibling of the OPPO R9s, which featured a 6-inch 1080p AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. <\/p>\n

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 was powerful enough for daily tasks, but it wasn’t quite flagship-grade. While the 16MP rear camera with OIS was decent in daylight and capable of recording 4k video, it would struggle at night with grainy photos. The front camera had a resolution of 16MP and you will get some great selfies.<\/p>\n

The 4000mAh battery capacity was quite impressive and was complemented by 20W SuperVOOC charging technology. The smartphone was launched in December 2016 for CNY 3,499 (roughly Rs. 35,000) and was limited to China.<\/p>\n

So this was a look at some of the last devices to be launched with single-rear camera. The way things are going, it looks like multi-camera setups will be the way to go for companies. Who knows, maybe there will be another breakthrough soon that sees the single rear cameras working again! <\/p>\n