The next high-end Windows Phone devices may boast Canon camera tech, if the deal Microsoft just scored is any indication.
Microsoft and Canon have just signed a new patent sharing deal and this agreement signals great things for Windows Phones. Nokia has already done a great job with its PureView camera technology, but this new deal could take things to the next level.
The two companies have previously teamed up on select R&D projects in the past, but this new agreement now refers to "certain digital imaging and mobile consumer products," Microsoft reveals.
"This collaborative approach with Canon allows us to deliver inventive technologies that benefit consumers around the world," Nick Psyhogeos, general manager, associate general counsel, IP Licensing of the Innovation and Intellectual Property Group at Microsoft, touts in the press release.
"This agreement is a natural extension of our longstanding relationship with Microsoft and commitment to developing innovative technologies," adds Hideki Sanatake, senior general manager, Corporate Intellectual Property & Legal Headquarters of Canon Inc.
The two companies haven't shared any details on what exactly is and is not covered from their respective patent portfolios, and the financial details of the deal remain unknown at this point as well. The deal will, however, cover "a broad range of products and services each company offers."
The timing of the deal is also worth pointing out. Microsoft is just taking over what used to be the Nokia smartphone division, following the acquisition it made earlier this year. This means that Nokia's range of Lumia Windows Phones are now completely under Microsoft's wing, and there's plenty of interest regarding what Microsoft will do from now on in regards to the much-touted PureView camera technology.
Nokia has used high-resolution sensors in smartphones such as the Lumia 1020, which boasts a whopping 41-megapixel camera, and also offered great apps to make the most of the technology. Nokia also collaborated with Carl Zeiss to grace its Windows Phone devices with special lenses. Microsoft's new partnership with Canon may cover both of these fronts.
While the new deal could mean great things for upcoming Windows Phone smartphones from Microsoft, it could also bring great benefits to Canon. The company could see a better integration between its cameras and WP smartphones, and could even launch a smart camera similar to the Galaxy Camera, but with Windows Phone on board.
For the time being, however, it remains to be seen what will come out of this new partnership between Microsoft and Canon.
