ExoLens has announced the availability of the ExoLens PRO with Optics by Zeiss Wide-Angle and Telephoto Kits for the Apple iPhone 6 family and the iPhone 7. All PRO Kits come with the new machined aluminium ExoLens Edge mount, which features an integrated cold shoe accessory mount (compatible with accessories such as external video light) and key ring loop. Available now, the ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle Kit ($199.95) with Optics by Zeiss includes a Zeiss Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens, which provides virtually no distortion and exceptional edge-to-edge contrast, resulting in an image quality that is unmatched by any other iPhone accessory lens. The ExoLens PRO Telephoto Kit with Optics by Zeiss, also available now, features a Zeiss Mutar 2.0x Asph T* Telephoto lens, and sells for $249.95.

The Kodak Ektra smartphone is now available for purchase in the United Kingdom. Announced on 20th October, the Kodak Ektra Smartphone (see sample images) offers a 21-megapixel fast-focus rear camera and a lens with an aperture of f2.0, plus an industry-leading 13-megapixel front-facing camera with PDAF and f2.2 aperture. The Kodak Ektra smartphone is priced at £449.

The Bullitt Group, based in Reading, UK, has licensed use of the Kodak brand in production of its own smartphone: the 2016 Kodak Ektra Smartphone to be precise. This interesting and (arguably) brave development is said to take its name and inspiration from Eastman Kodak’s rich history and its original 1941 issue Kodak Ektra camera – as well as the classic advertising slogan ‘you press the button and we do the rest’. Photography Blog attended the official London launch of the Android Marshmallow powered device and was able to get hands on with an early sample.

The KODAK EKTRA is a new photography-led smartphone designed for those with a passion for photography, from enthusiasts to experts. At the heart of the KODAK EKTRA Smartphone is a 21-megapixel fast focus camera sensor with f2.0 aperture, and an industry leading 13-megapixel front-facing camera with Phase Detection Auto Focus PDAF and f2.2 aperture. The KODAK EKTRA Smartphone will be priced at £449 and available across Europe later this year.

ExoLens have announced the upcoming launch of their PRO and PRIME ranges of high-quality accessory lenses for the Apple iPhone 7. Leading the collection is the ExoLens PRO line, which feature Optics by Zeiss, to offer truly professional-grade mobile lenses to photographers, artists and journalists. First to market will be the ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle and Telephoto Kits for iPhone 7. All PRO Kits come with the new machined aluminium ExoLens Edge mount, which features an integrated cold shoe accessory mount (compatible with accessories such as external video light) and key ring loop. Available from December 2016, the ExoLens PRO Wide-Angle Kit ($199.99) with Optics by Zeiss includes a Zeiss Mutar 0.6x Asph T* Wide-Angle lens, which provides virtually no distortion and exceptional edge-to-edge contrast, resulting in an image quality that is unmatched by any other iPhone accessory lens. The ExoLens PRO Telephoto Kit with Optics by Zeiss, also available from December, features a Zeiss Mutar 2.0x Asph T* Telephoto lens, and sells for $249.99. The ExoLens PRIME product line allows for artistic expression and non-technical social sharing to step up your iPhone photography and videography game. The lenses offered for PRIME Kits are the Wide Angle 0.6X, the Telephoto 2X and the Super Wide-Angle/Macro Combo. The PRIME product line will be available starting Q1 2017.

Want to see exactly what the new Hasselblad True Zoom looks like in the flesh? Part of the Hasselblad 4116 Collection, the Hasselblad True Zoom is a "Moto Mod" that snaps onto the Moto Z smartphone using magnets, and provides 10x optical zoom as well as raw image capture.

Check out our hands-on gallery of the Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod.

The new Apple iPhone 7 features "new advanced camera systems that take pictures like never before". The 12-megapixel camera includes optical image stabilization, and a f/1.8 aperture and 6-element lens enable brighter, more detailed photos and videos. The iPhone 7 Plus features the same 12-megapixel wide angle camera as the iPhone 7 and adds a 12-megapixel telephoto camera that together offer optical zoom at two times and up to 10 times digital zoom for photos.

Coming later this year, the dual 12-megapixel cameras will also enable a new depth-of-field effect, using both cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus to capture images, while sophisticated technology including Machine Learning separates the background from the foreground to achieve amazing portraits once possible only with DSLR cameras.

Sony today launched two new photography-focused smartphones. The Xperia XZ is a metal-backed 5.2" phablet with a Full HD screen, a 23-megapixel primary camera with a 1/2.3"-type Exmor RS imaging chip, a separate Laser AF sensor and an RGBC-IR (red-green-blue-clear-infrared) external white balance sensor, which accurately adjusts the white balance based on the light source in the environment. Additionally, the Xperia XZ provides a 13-megapixel front camera with a 22mm equivalent UWA lens and a top sensitivity setting of ISO 6,400. The Xperia X Compact is a more reasonably sized handset with a 4.6" 720p display, the same 23-megapixel main camera and "triple image sensing tecnology" as the Xperia XZ, and a 5-megapixel secondary camera for the selfie brigade. On both phones, the main camera module offers a start-up time of 0.6 seconds and Predictive Hybrid AF technology to intelligently predict and track subjects in motion. The Xperia XZ will launch globally in October 2016, whilst the Xperia X Compact will be available from September 2016.

Hasselblad has launched the Hasselblad ‘4116 Collection’ - a range of products and collaborations to celebrate the brand’s 75th anniversary. The company has teamed up with Motorola for the ‘Hasselblad True Zoom’ – a
10x optical zoom Moto Mod compatible with Moto Z smartphones. Offering a physical shutter, Xenon flash and zoom, the ‘Hasselblad True Zoom’ instantly snaps on to the Moto Z smartphone using magnets. The mod allows users to shoot raw images which can be edited using Hasselblad’s Phocus software. Furthermore, Hasselblad and Alpa have formed a collaboration allowing optimised integration of all ALPA technical cameras with both Hasselblad digital backs from H System and CFV as well as Hasselblad HC/HCD lenses in existing and future products. Last but not least, Hasselblad has fostered a relationship with Swedish accessories brand, Sandqvist, creating functional, stylish camera bags to accent the Hasselblad range of offerings. The Sandqvist x Hasselblad collection consists of three high quality bags, created by Hasselblad and Sandqvist, and will be launched at Photokina in September.

Hama have launched a three-in-one lens set for smartphones and tablets. The Hama Uni set comprises a 180° fisheye lens, a 0.67X wide-angle lens and a macro lens. Thanks to the universal lens clip, the lenses fit all smartphones and tablets with a lens diameter of up to 13 mm. The new three-in-one set is available for €12.99.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is a new phablet with a 5.7" Quad HD Dual Edge Super AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass 5, USB-C connectivity and a water-resistant chassis. In terms of photography-related features, the new Galaxy Note 7 gets the 1/2.5"-type 12-megapixel image sensor and bright f/1.7 lens of the Galaxy S7, combined with on-chip PDAF technology for fast and accurate focusing. There's also a front-facing camera with a 5-megapixel imager, a microSD memory card slot, a water-resistant S Pen stylus and an intriguing iris scanner. Additionally, the Galaxy Note7 can be used with the new high-resolution (3840×1920) Gear 360 camera, to capture, edit and share 360-degree images and videos on the go. These memories can then be shared with friends via platforms including YouTube 360 and Facebook.

PolarPro, a manufacturer of professional-grade accessories for action cameras, drones and smartphones; has announced a partnership with OtterBox to offer 7 accessory modules as part of the new OtterBox uniVERSE Case System. Designed for the latest iPhone 6 models, the protective OtterBox case offers the ability to expand the iPhone’s features with swappable modules, each of which attach seamlessly to the case using a slotted rail. One of the seven accessory modules offered by PolarPro is a multi-coated clip-on fish-eye conversion lens ($29.99) compatible with both front- and rear-facing cameras, which attaches directly to the OtterBox uniVERSE case. A snap-on lens cap safeguards the lens when not in use.

The Moto G Plus is a new smartphone with a 1/2.4"-type 16-megapixel image sensor plus, f/2 lens, dual LED flash, laser-assisted focusing and on-sensor PDAF. Powered by Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the new phablet has a 5.5" Full HD display, 2 gigabytes of RAM and an octa-core CPU. In a nod to enthusiast photographers, the pre-installed camera app allows users to set shutter speed, white balance, ISO sensitivity and a range of other shooting parameters manually. And with a fingerprint reader, a touch is all you need to instantly wake up your phone and start snapping away. The Moto G Plus will be available starting today in Brazil and Moto G Plus will be available starting today in India. Both versions will arrive soon in various countries across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Pricing to be confirmed.

Huawei have launched the new P9 and P9 Plus smartphones with dual-camera modules featuring lenses designed in collaboration with Leica. One of these modules is a conventional 12-megapixel smartphone camera that takes 12-megapixel colour photos through a 27mm (eq.) f/2.2 lens, while the other boasts a 12-megapixel monochromatic sensor. Users may opt to use the two camera modules in tandem - in which case the device combines the two images to create one colour photograph with superior detail and low noise - or use the second camera on its own to take high-quality black-and-white photographs with no Bayer interpolation involved. The P9 supports auto focus based on three focusing technologies – laser, depth calculation and contrast detection – and automatically selects the one that yields the best result in any given environment. The Huawei P9 offers a 5.2" Ful HD display and comes with either 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage (€599) or 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage capacity (€649). The Huawei P9 Plus (€749) has a larger frame with a 5.5-inch screen and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, plus dual-IC Rapid Charge.

The Apple iPhone SE is a new smartphone with a 12-megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash and a 4" Retina display. The camera features Focus Pixel technology for fast auto focus, an Apple-designed image signal processor, advanced noise reduction, third-generation local tone mapping and improved face detection. Users can record 4K video at a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels and HD movies at up to 240 frames per second for slow-motion playback. Just like the iPhone 6S, the SE model can capture extremely detailed panoramic images at a resolution of 63 megapixels. The new iPhone SE will be available in space grey, silver, gold and rose gold metallic finishes in 16GB and 64GB models starting at £359.

LG has unveiled the LG G5 smartphone, a slide-out battery and a modular type design. Featuring two rear-facing cameras - one with a 135-degree UWA lens and another with a 78° lens -, the phone features a collection of powerful photo effects including Pop-out Picture, Film Effect and Auto Shot. Pop-out Picture combines images taken by the standard and wide angle lens to create a picture-in-a-frame effect. Film Effect can apply nine different film emulators to an image while Auto Shot is an enhanced camera UX which automatically captures the perfect selfie shot when a face is recognised. The separate LG CAM Plus camera module can be attached through the battery slot to deliver a comfortable grip, an additional battery capacity of 1,200mAh and convenient control of a standalone camera. The LG CAM Plus provides physical buttons for power, shutter, record, zoom, LED indicator and comfortable grip. It also offers separate AF and AE Lock functionality.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, LG will bring to Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 a new series of smartphones offering one exceptional feature at a price that rivals mid-range models. The first two handsets in the X series — X cam and X screen — will debut at MWC in Barcelona on February 22. The X cam and X screen are designed for customers who do not want or need all the bells and whistles that come with today’s high-end phones but still desire a great camera or advanced display. The X cam sports dual cameras on the rear and delivers "one of the most advanced camera experience in a mass-tier smartphone," the company says. What this means in practice remains to be seen - the only camera-related specifications LG has shared so far are the resolution figures (13 megapixels for the main unit and 5 megapixels for the front-facing camera). Visitors to MWC can see the new X series for themselves at LG’s booth in Hall 3 of Fira Gran Via from February 22-25.

Felleowes' ExoLens brand and Zeiss have announced their collaboration in the design and development of accessory lenses for camera phones. The companies presented the first jointly developed accessory lenses at the Fellowes booth (no. 31016) at CES 2016. The first three lenses – wide-angle, telephoto and macro (pictured) – are scheduled to be launched later this year. The new lenses can be used on the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S and 6S Plus with customised mounting brackets (the companies plan on releasing brackets for more devices in future). The ExoLens bracket features a standard tripod mount (1/4”-20) as well as a cold shoe for mounting accessories. All lenses incorporate the T* anti-reflective coating from Zeiss, which minimises reflections at the glass-to-air surfaces and improves the transmission of light.

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Inventor Thomas Larson has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a highly portable stick-on macro lens for cell phones. Available in two versions, offering 4x and 8x magnification, the MPL Macro conversion lens comes in a convenient coin-sized case, and enables users to take compelling close-up shots with their smartphone's built-in camera. Compatible with nearly all phones and tablets, the universal MPL Macro lens attaches to your smart device without any adhesives. "This is a project I started as an undergrad two years ago, and have been able to finance solely through crowdfunding and direct sales (no investors or grants)," Thomas says. "I use the extra funds from crowdfunding and sales to work on less commercially viable mobile microscopes that I hope will have an impact on education and world health." Interested readers are encouraged to pay a visit to the project's Kickstarter page.