LG inks deal to enhance optics in its cell phones

LG Electronics signed a deal Wednesday with German lens maker Jos. Schneider Optische Werke (Schneider-Kreuznach) under which the two companies will collaborate on optics for the cameras in cell phones.

The partnership, which is the German company's first with a cell phone manufacturer, comes hot on the heels of the launch of LG's "Shine" cell phone. The phone, which was announced in South Korea last week, contains optics tested and certified by Schneider-Kreuznach.

The two companies started working together on the Shine phone a few months ago and Wednesday's agreement should lead to closer cooperation on future phones, said Judy Pae, a spokeswoman for LG in Seoul.

The agreement was signed by Skott Ahn, executive vice president of LG Electronics Mobile Handset R&D Center, and Josef Staub, CEO of Schneider-Kreuznach.

As competition increases in the cell phone industry phone makers are putting more emphasis on improving camera features. A handful of phones offer optical zoom, which delivers much better quality images than those using a digital zoom. Samsung Electronics recently launched a phone with a 10-megapixel image sensor and optics typically found in a digital still camera.