MWC 2018: LG V30S ThinQ puts the focus on AI-driven camera

At MWC, we had a chance to check out the LG V30S ThinQ and its camera in action. As already noted, the focus is on AI features. The camera app has an option for switching to the AI camera, and there’s also a QLens option. Once the AI camera is turned on, the LG V30S can automatically recognise the object being shot and then tune the picture accordingly.

So for instance, when pointed at a plate of food, the camera app recognises it is a food item and the picture is taken in that mode. Pointing the camera at other objects also worked accurately. The picture quality for the food plate did look excellent, though it should be noted that there was ample lighting in the demo zone. How the camera performs in low-light will be interesting to see.

The LG V30 S ThinQ’s camera uses machine learning to recognise eight different scene modes: portrait, food, pet, landscape, city, flower, sunrise, and sunset, claims the company. It should be pointed out that AI-driven mode recognition on smartphone cameras is nothing new. Players like Samsung, Honor, etc all have similar features on their smartphone cameras.

Once the AI camera is turned on, the LG V30S can automatically recognise the object being shot and then tune the picture accordingly.

Coming to the other interesting aspect of this smartphone’s camera, it would be the QLens. Essentially a user can point the camera at an object and it will try and match it with a product on Amazon or give a visual search for it, which is powered by Pinterest. There’s also the option of scanning QR code directly from this feature.

When we pointed the camera at a plate of food, it could not find relevant results on Amazon, though it could also be due to the fact that the plate included too many items. With the Pinterest visual search, the LG V30S’ camera displayed quite a number of results for other similar photos. A user can scroll down and check out all the photo options that appear with a particular result and the feature does work smoothly. Again we will have to wait and see if the Amazon level camera integration is also made part of the phone if and when it launches in India.

LG V30S ThinQ will come in two new colours: Moroccan Blue and Platinum Gray.

Of course, LG is not the only player, which is integrating shopping with the camera. Samsung Galaxy On7 Prime has a shopping mall app in the Indian market, where a user can point to the object and it will then show relevant results from partner e-commerce sites. The new Galaxy S9’s camera will also have a similar function, where users will be able to try on products via the camera app, though it will be limited to some markets and brands.

When it comes to the camera, clearly the major smartphone players have recognised that it needs to more than just take a selfie or stunning low-light shot. The integration of AI and machine learning driven features to enhance smartphone photography is something we are likely to see more of as 2018 progresses. Additionally these capabilities will also be used to drive a shopping, visual search experience for the user.

Disclaimer: The author is in Barcelona attending MWC 2018 at the invite of Samsung India.