A new camera technology could dramatically improve how smartphones take photos at night

Smartphone cameras have come a long way in the past decade, going from grainy images to near-DSLR quality for casual, social media, and everyday photography. Daylight photography in particular seems to have hit a ceiling on flagship smartphones, as you can’t really distinguish much beyond color tones at first glance. That said, night photography still has plenty of room for improvement, and an interesting piece of tech called HoloCoder could deliver the next breakthrough in this area.

According to a WIRED report, Boston-based company Metalenz has acquired PxE Holographic Imaging, which developed the technology. It basically makes better use of incoming light by redirecting more of it toward the sensor, potentially improving low-light photography and dynamic range.

Where smartphone cameras still struggle

Most smartphone cameras, even expensive flagships, struggle with harsh lights and dark areas in the same frame. I’ve come across this quite often while doing urban night photography, where illuminated shop signs lose details and buildings around them turn into dark patches. Trying to lift the shadows later brings up noise, despite all the software processing. Even daytime shots with high dynamic range suffer from similar issues.

PxE says its HoloCoder technology allows sensors to collect up to 2.5 times more light, potentially delivering cleaner night shots, better video capture, and improved dynamic range. Of course, the technology hasn’t been demonstrated in a commercial smartphone yet.

How HoloCoder is trying to improve smartphone cameras

Most smartphone cameras rely on a Bayer color filter sitting above the sensor. It uses red, green, and blue filters to capture color information, but each one only allows light of its respective color to pass through, while blocking the rest. Around 60% of incoming light is lost in the process.

PxE’s solution replaces that filter with a microscopic optical layer. Instead of blocking unwanted colors, HoloCoder bends different wavelengths of light toward the appropriate pixels. The captured information is then decoded to produce an image, allowing the sensor to collect considerably more light without increasing its size.

The technology can also capture 3D depth information using the same sensor, potentially eliminating additional depth-sensing hardware. Metalenz is also eyeing applications in robotics and autonomous vehicles, although the benefits there remain uncertain. As for availability, Metalenz expects HoloCoder to reach consumer electronics by late 2027 or early 2028. No smartphone manufacturer has confirmed adopting it yet.

Related Coverage