Samsung to use front camera as ambient light sensor for future devices

Samsung has always been encouraging to the digital growth in markets where consumers are budget conscious. The company has a plethora of smartphones that come at affordable prices. But to save on the production, the company has to cut down hardware like the ambient light sensor.

The devices that come sans the ambient light sensor miss out on the auto screen brightness feature. But, this might be changing soon. Yes, according to SamMobile, a firmware update that's been rolled out for Galaxy J8 users is bringing a new auto brightness mode.

The device will judge the ambient light around the phone by taking a picture. But this doesn't mean users will have to take a picture every time. The device will capture a photo using the camera every time the phone is unlocked. Also, the image taken for the ambient light won't be saved in the phone's memory. The image will be removed permanently after the device analyzes the environment.

While Samsung hasn't officially announced the new feature, it's something that can be seen as a cost-cutting move for the future devices. To turn on the new auto-brightness feature, users will have to go to the phone's brightness settings.

Besides, the company has also filled for a new patent for a tablet that will fold not twice, but thrice. According to the patent that surfaced on USPTO, both pieces of the tablet will fold opposite ways.

This means that only one-third of the display will be available for use when folded, while the cameras will be ready for use. Basically, the device will be a thick smartphone when folded. the company is expected to use its flexible OLED panel which it recently showcased.

What's interesting is that the patent description shows a 3.5mm audio jack, but there's no mention of the of the audio jack. There's a possibility that Samsung might keep the functionality alive if the device ever reaches the production stage.