Huawei Mate70 Series' "Maple Original Color Imaging" Leads the Trend: Will Multispectral Sensors Become the Future of Mobile Photography?

Huawei Mate70 Series' "Maple Original Color Imaging" Leads the Trend: Will Multispectral Sensors Become the Future of Mobile Photography?The evolution of mobile imaging technology resembles a continuous process of "identifying problems and solving them." Initially focused on "capturing the image"achieved through larger sensors, higher pixel counts, and more complex telephoto lens systemsthe pursuit has shifted to "capturing it well"aiming for more accurate color reproduction that aligns with human visual perception

Huawei Mate70 Series' "Maple Original Color Imaging" Leads the Trend: Will Multispectral Sensors Become the Future of Mobile Photography?

The evolution of mobile imaging technology resembles a continuous process of "identifying problems and solving them." Initially focused on "capturing the image"achieved through larger sensors, higher pixel counts, and more complex telephoto lens systemsthe pursuit has shifted to "capturing it well"aiming for more accurate color reproduction that aligns with human visual perception. Color reproduction has always been a challenge in mobile imaging, prompting manufacturers to explore various solutions. These include software algorithms like AI scene recognition and automatic white balance, as well as hardware solutions like external attachments. Against this backdrop, the multispectral sensor has emerged as a key technology.

As early as 2016, LG incorporated a dedicated color spectral sensor into its G5 smartphone to enhance color performance. Subsequently, Apple, OPPO, vivo, Huawei, and other smartphone manufacturers experimented with integrating various multi-channel spectral sensors into their devices. Examples include the VCS bio-spectrum technology in the vivo X90 series and the hyperspectral camera technology in the Huawei P50 Pocket. However, some of these attempts failed to gain widespread adoption or industry resonance.

However, it was Huawei's Mate70 series and its "Maple Original Color Imaging" technology that truly propelled multispectral sensors into the spotlight. This success has significantly boosted the technology's momentum in mobile photography. According to digital blogger @DigitalChatStation, the upcoming wave of flagship imaging smartphones in 2025, including the OPPO Find X8 Ultra, will also feature multispectral sensors.

Image color has become a core competitive factor in smartphone photography in recent years. Market perception has transitioned from "capturing the image" to "capturing it well." Users demand increasingly accurate color reproduction, seeking output that closely matches what the naked eye sees, presenting new challenges for manufacturers. With "what you see is what you get" becoming a universal aspiration, can spectral sensors become a mainstream technology once again?

Spectral Sensors: The "Fourth Eye" of Mobile Imaging

Most digital cameras cannot perfectly reproduce the true colors perceived by the human eye. This is because the spectral response of the RGB three-channel image sensor differs from the spectral response of human visual cells, leading to a discrepancy between the color information received by the sensor and human perception. The difference in color reproduction capabilities is further amplified across different price ranges of phones due to variations in sensor size, manufacturing processes, and other factors.

Modern sensors tend to be less sensitive to longer-wavelength spectra like red, especially in low-light and bright-light conditions. This can result in undersaturated or oversaturated colors in the original image. Furthermore, prolonged use of CMOS sensors can lead to aging and increased color distortion.

Traditionally, smartphones and professional cameras rely on ISP (Image Signal Processor) to compensate for the lack of information in the original image. Without an ISP module, the imaging system would not achieve the desired image quality. The ISP, the computational part of the imaging system, processes the raw light signals received from the CMOS, performs color mapping, and outputs the image, compensating for missing information in the original signal.

However, smartphone systems identify photographic scenes relatively randomly. Even for the same scene, variations in composition can lead to different color optimization results. This means that the colors in smartphone photos often differ significantly from what the human eye sees, especially in richly colored scenes. Poor post-processing can result in unnatural colors and unsatisfactory results, leading to user dissatisfaction.

Huawei Mate70 Series' Innovative Approach

To address this, the Huawei Mate70 series adds a dedicated multispectral camera for color recording, in addition to the standard main, telephoto, and ultrawide cameras. The final image is synthesized and output by the ISP. Previous reviews by Lei Technology showed that the addition of the multispectral sensor significantly improves color reproduction accuracy, bringing it closer to human visual perception.

Huawei has extensive experience in multi-camera fusion. For example, the P9 and P50 series use a combination of monochrome and color cameras to enhance image detail, achieving results similar to larger sensors while maintaining a slim profile.

Besides the Huawei Mate70 series, the Honor Magic4 Ultimate Edition also featured a 50-megapixel multispectral enhancement camera, claiming to capture spectral information beyond the visible range of the human eye. Vivo's VCS bio-spectrum technology, while not a hardware-level solution, is one of the few technologies that have continued to iterate, currently at version 3.0.

However, only a few manufacturers have consistently adopted the multispectral sensor approach; many have employed a "use-and-discard" strategy. The reason is that early software and hardware integration solutions were immature. Hardware-level spectral enhancement cameras struggled to seamlessly integrate into the photography workflow. Subsequent optimization and upgrades were insufficient; users could not easily perceive the improvements brought by multi-hardware fusion, and marketing efforts were superficial. This resulted in color inaccuracies persisting, wasted space, increased costs, and ultimately led to the feature being "optimized out" by manufacturers. Early attempts at multi-camera fusion in the mobile phone industry faced similar challenges, with the intention of merging images from multiple focal lengths to produce higher-resolution images, but ultimately few brands persevered.

The Significance of Spectral Enhancement Sensors

The significance of spectral enhancement sensors in mobile imaging extends beyond mere marketing of "another camera." It's more akin to a component that completes the final piece of the puzzle for mobile image sensing. To bring spectral sensors to the forefront, consumers need to perceive the upgrades in hardware clusters and software optimization; "Maple Original Color Imaging" is simply a catchy marketing term.

Smartphone manufacturers are revisiting spectral enhancement sensors not solely because Huawei set a successful precedent, but also because mature software and hardware solutions have shown the potential of mobile imaging to achieve "what you see is what you get." OPPO Find X8 Ultra's adoption of hardware-level spectral enhancement sensors suggests that the trend may be making a comeback.

"What You See Is What You Get" Is Not the Sole Standard for Mobile Imaging

In mobile imaging, "what you see is what you get" is almost a universally sought-after goal. Collaborations between smartphone manufacturers and professional optics brandssuch as Huawei Leica, vivo Zeiss, and OPPO Hasselbladare commonplace. The industry strives to integrate the color solutions of camera brands into smartphones, aiming for high-quality and aesthetically pleasing results, rather than absolute color accuracy.

However, many smartphone users prioritize color reproduction that aligns with human visual perception. The iPhone has long been regarded as a representative model that respects this, with many consumers preferring its imaging system despite efforts by other flagship models to emulate professional cameras. Many users in industries such as jewelry, hairdressing, and apparel express their approval of iPhone imaging because the color difference between iPhone-shot product photos and the actual products is minimal, making them suitable for product references.

Some believe that Android/HarmonyOS phones readopting spectral enhancement sensors signifies the abandonment of stylized photography in favor of a return to the "original" style of photography, emulating Apple. In reality, photography lacks a single definitive standard; "what you see is what you get" is merely one approach. Regardless of technological advancements and iterative imaging solutions, the overall direction of mobile imaging won't change because of a spectral enhancement sensor; the goal remains to provide devices capable of capturing high-quality photos. "What you see is what you get" is crucial in mobile imaging; aesthetically pleasing photos need accurate color relationships. Spectral enhancement sensors, as auxiliary components, are key to filling in the missing color information in the mobile imaging workflow, enabling both more realistic color representation and enhancement of stylized photography.

The Future of AI and Spectral Sensors

Some may argue that spectral enhancement sensors represent the future of mobile imaging. Indeed, hardware-level spectral enhancement cameras offer more accurate environmental color perception, providing crucial color information to the imaging system, and their role is undeniable. The Mate70 series has deepened our understanding of this small sensor. More accurate color representation aligns with the preferences of users seeking a "what you see is what you get" experience.

However, in the long term, as AI becomes more accurate in scene recognition, dependence on hardware may decrease, potentially relegating spectral sensors to a secondary role. This is not a dismissal of the Mate70 series or other devices with spectral sensors; they represent successful implementations in the ongoing exploration of mobile imaging. As long as traditional CMOS and algorithms cannot achieve perfect imaging results, auxiliary hardware will have its place.

"Identifying problems and solving them" remains the unchanging essence of mobile imaging development. With CES 2025 approaching, let's wait and see how mobile imaging technology will evolve.