Huawei Mate70 Series: Red Maple True-Color Imaging, Ushering in a New Era of Mobile Photography

Huawei Mate70 Series: Red Maple True-Color Imaging, Ushering in a New Era of Mobile PhotographySince the advent of the Sharp J-SH04 in the summer of 2000, featuring a 100,000-pixel camera and marking the beginning of the mobile photography era, mobile imaging technology has undergone a revolutionary transformation. In 2007, the arrival of the iPhone and the App Store integrated cameras with third-party applications, further expanding the possibilities of mobile photography

Huawei Mate70 Series: Red Maple True-Color Imaging, Ushering in a New Era of Mobile Photography

Since the advent of the Sharp J-SH04 in the summer of 2000, featuring a 100,000-pixel camera and marking the beginning of the mobile photography era, mobile imaging technology has undergone a revolutionary transformation. In 2007, the arrival of the iPhone and the App Store integrated cameras with third-party applications, further expanding the possibilities of mobile photography. Subsequently, mobile imaging technology has continuously evolved, from single-lens to dual-lens, and then to multi-lens systems, with increasingly higher pixel counts and more powerful features. However, in the pursuit of high resolution and multi-functionality, mobile photography has also faced challenges, such as the accuracy of color reproduction. Huawei, a leader in the field of mobile imaging, has always been at the forefront of technological innovation, continuously breaking through technological bottlenecks to deliver superior imaging experiences to users.

Since the launch of the Huawei P9 in 2016, featuring a groundbreaking monochrome + color dual-camera system that ushered in the dual-camera era, Huawei has forged an inseparable bond with mobile imaging technology. The Huawei P9 boldly combined a monochrome and a color camera, partnering with Leica to imbue photographs with a unique Leica imaging style. This approach shattered the limitations of the time, where dual-cameras were believed to only be capable of 3D photography, and led the way for new directions in mobile imaging technology. Following this, the Huawei Mate series has consistently driven innovation in imaging technology, including the Mate 20 series' matrix multi-focal-length imaging system, the Mate 30 series' cinematic camera, the Mate 40 series' free-form surface camera, the Mate 50 series' ten-stop physical variable aperture, and the recently released Mate 60 series' AI cloud enhancement technology. These innovations represent Huawei's continuous exploration and breakthroughs in the field of mobile photography.

In recent years, image tone has become a hot topic in mobile photography. Almost all mainstream mobile phone brands have collaborated with renowned optical brands, attempting to enhance the image quality of their products and add a humanistic label through "XX-style colors." Apple's iPhone 16 has also added more color tone customization options. While these "XX colors" do add stylistic variety, over-emphasis on post-processing tone algorithms has led to another extreme a noticeable discrepancy between the colors in the photos and what the human eye perceives.

In reality, "tone" is a mapping scheme for color within the Image Signal Processor (ISP). The ISP processes the raw light data from the sensor and, after color mapping, produces the final photograph. From a technical standpoint, this approach is sound, but due to factors such as compositional changes, the phone may identify similar scenes as different and apply vastly different color mappings, resulting in a significant discrepancy between the photo's colors and what the human eye perceives. This discrepancy is particularly noticeable in scenes with rich colors.

To better illustrate this issue, we will analyze sample images from different phone models. The following sample images are from different models, which are not revealed initially; readers can guess the models themselves.

(Insert four sets of comparative sample images here. For each set, include three phone models and two images of the same subject from different angles or scenarios. Provide descriptive captions for each image, similar to the following example: "The first group compares close-up and distant shots of fruit. Model 1 subtly alters the color in the distant shot, leading to a color discrepancy between the two images of the same fruit, while Model 3 maintains color consistency.")

(Example Caption: "Fruit sample comparison: Close-up and wide shot of a bowl of fruit. Model A shows significant color shift between the two shots. Model B maintains color consistency despite the change in perspective. Model C demonstrates a slight color shift.")

(Repeat the above for flower, food macro, and portrait sample comparisons.)

The above comparative sample images clearly demonstrate the significant differences in color reproduction across different phone models. Some models over-adjust colors to balance image elements, resulting in color distortion and a noticeable discrepancy between the photo and what the human eye perceives. Other models accurately reproduce scene colors, maintaining color consistency even when viewing angle and lighting conditions change.

Why can some phones accurately reproduce colors while others cannot? This is closely related to the technological level of the phone's sensor, ISP algorithms, and color calibration. Modern sensors have lower sensitivity to long-wave spectra (red), and regardless of whether the sensor uses RGGB or RGBW arrangement, the proportion of red pixels is not the highest. This inherently limits the phone's ability to perceive red light. However, the human eye is highly sensitive to red, so even subtle color deviations can make the photo's colors feel off.

The Huawei Mate70 series directly addresses this issue with its innovative "Red Maple True-Color Imaging" technology. Unlike previous phones, the Huawei Mate70 series adds a dedicated "Red Maple True-Color Camera" responsible for color perception. This camera has multiple spectral channels, allowing it to fully perceive external colors and capture environmental spectral information. This camera works in conjunction with other optical cameras (ultra-wide, wide-angle, periscope telephoto) to capture image and color data separately, which are then synthesized by the ISP to output the final result.

The Huawei Mate70 series' Red Maple True-Color Imaging system shares some similarities with the Huawei P9's monochrome + color dual-camera system, but their goals differ. The P9 aimed to use the monochrome camera to capture the original light and shadow relationships, while the Mate70 series' Red Maple True-Color Imaging engine uses the additional Red Maple True-Color camera to record the colors as seen by the human eye. Through powerful ISP algorithms, it outputs the final image in a very short time, resulting in superior color quality. Importantly, Red Maple True-Color Imaging isn't just optimized for red; it samples colors across the entire photo and even beyond the photo's field of view.

Beyond Red Maple True-Color Imaging, the Huawei Mate70 Pro+ itself boasts remarkable imaging capabilities. It uses a full RYYB sensor array, where the Y (yellow) pixel captures both red and green light, effectively balancing the phone's control over red colors. The OIS-equipped telephoto macro lens, compared to ultra-wide macro cropping, delivers higher imaging quality. The adjustable aperture allows for longer shutter speeds during video recording, achieving a more natural, more true-to-life motion blur that makes videos look more realistic. Coupled with two anti-shake cameras and the AI cinematic engine, even handheld long-focus mobile shots exhibit a high-end cinematic feel and breathing effect.

The Huawei Mate70 Pro+ excellently continues Huawei's high-quality and innovative mobile imaging legacy. From the full RYYB array to Red Maple True-Color Imaging, and to cinematic video recording capabilities and XMAGE True-Color style, the Mate70 Pro+ achieves the ultimate in hardware, software, and underlying color science. From the perspective of mobile imaging evolution, the Huawei Mate series has consistently driven industry progress and set the direction for the industry.

It is through Huawei's persistent efforts that mobile photography has evolved from simple "record life" snapshots to today's professional mobile imaging technology "outpost." Mobile phones have become indispensable tools for many professional creators, enabling more individuals to become professional creators themselves. The Huawei Photography Competition is a prime example, providing a professional platform for Huawei users to showcase their work and exchange ideas, encouraging creativity without using it as a means to "urge users to buy new phones."

Mobile imaging technology continues to evolve, and flagship imaging phones are becoming increasingly popular. Amidst the intense competition in mobile imaging, Huawei's Red Maple True-Color Imaging has opened up a new evolutionary path. "True-color imaging" may become a key term for future flagship phones. Behind Huawei's Red Maple True-Color Imaging lies Huawei's relentless pursuit of technology, a testament to its enduring imaging culture.