It seems that the top brass over at Lytro are willing to work with smartphone manufacturers directly in order to deliver its light-field photography technology into future handsets. An interview with PCWorld saw Lytro chairman Charles Chi claiming that the company is well positioned to build and market products under its own branding, although admitting that the smartphone ecosystem is “very complex” and “very different.” According to Chi, “For us to compete in there, we’d have to be a very different kind of company. So if we were to enter that space, it would definitely be through a partnership and a co-development of the technology, and ultimately some kind of licensing with the appropriate partner.”
There are also whispers on the ground that Lytro might have already opened up talks with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs prior to his passing, although there is no indication that the two companies have agreed to a long-term collaboration. It must be noted that Lytro has yet to roll out their light-field camera to the mass market, but the technology is claimed to do away with the need to focus shots whenever one wants to capture an image, as it is capable of capturing light that arrives at different angles. As for the standalone camera, it is touted to arrive early this year for $399 a pop.