Samsung Patents Smartphone Modular Lens, Can Replace Lenses Without Increasing Body Thickness

Samsung newly published patent (WO/2025/084594) reveals a bold smartphone camera innovation: a built-in, swappable lens system that adds no bulk. In the drawings, a phone frame houses a detachable lens module, the image sensor, and a tiny motor/actuator for focus and zoom. In other words, the optics are integrated parts of the device (not third-party clip-ons) but can pop out when needed. Each lens carries a small magnet or RFID tag so the phone instantly recognizes which module is attached. The system then automatically tweaks its camera settings aperture, focus distance, stabilization and more to match that lens, giving true plug-and-play interchangeable smartphone lens functionality.

Crucially, Samsung engineers keep the focus/zoom motor inside the phone body, not on the lens, to save space. As the patent notes, the actuator is on the device housing rather than the lens “which saves space and simplifies the design”. In practice, that means swapping lenses adds virtually no thickness or weight the phone stays slim. The concept even shows a rotatable ring on the lens module for optical zoom control. In short, Samsung promises DSLR-style lens flexibility with none of the usual DSLR bulk.

According to Samsung filing, the main components include the device housing, a replaceable lens assembly, an image sensor, and one or more miniature motors/actuators. All of those parts work together seamlessly: the motors drive the optics for autofocus and stabilization, and built-in “recognition” systems (magnets or RFID) identify each lens. NotebookCheck points out that the housing could even accept other snap-in modules (extra flashes, batteries or sensors), hinting at a fully modular phone. For now it’s purely a concept – Samsung explicitly says these designs are still “in the conceptual stage”.

Still, this patent paints a tantalizing picture of the future. Samsung hasn’t confirmed any product based on it, but the idea fits with rumor mill chatter. For example, leaks suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra camera may jump to a 200MP periscope telephoto sensor. Imagine pairing that kind of sensor with a swappable lens system it would make a next-gen Galaxy camera radically versatile. Whether or not Samsung ships this tech, the patent shows the company exploring a truly mobile photography upgrade: a phone that can swap out lenses on the fly. If it ever arrives in a phone (maybe even the next Galaxy S-series), it could revolutionize how we shoot photos on our phones.

Samsung new patent outlines a modular phone camera design unlike any on the market. Built-in lenses that snap in and out, automatic lens recognition and on-the-fly camera adjustment, and zero added bulk – it’s a glimpse of a very flexible future for phone cameras. The technology remains experimental, but it could mark a major step forward if it finds its way into a device like the rumored Galaxy S26 Ultra.