Nexus 5's tipped MEMS camera changes focus post-shot

Google's new Nexus 5 phone could pack some very cool new camera tech that lets you refocus your photo after you take the shot.

The LG-built new Android flagship is set to use a MEMS sensor, according to data logs apparently obtained by tech site Myce.com. It found the product code IMX179 in the phone's camera data, which corresponds to a new sensor built by Digital Optics.

This PDF on the company's site sells the sensor's sensational new abilities. MEMS stands for microelectromechanical system and is already in use in other elements of phone componentry, such as accelerometers and mics. It enables finer control of moving parts and uses less power.

In a phone camera, Digital Optics boasts, it can mean much faster focus, taking less than 10 milliseconds to settle. It can also enable multi-focus, meaning a single image can have multiple focus points saved in its metadata, so you can change the focus you want after you've shot it. That's similar to tech we've seen before from Toshiba and Lytro.

Whether any of these features actually end up in the final Nexus 5 you buy is nothing but conjecture, but in theory they're possible. One of our favourite features in last year's brilliant Nexus 4 was its 360-degree panoramic globe photo, so Google has some good form in building innovative stuff into its own-brand smart phones.

The Nexus 5 cropped up in benchmarks recently, racking up some impressive -- and likely reliable -- scores, and showing off top-notch specs. Expect the new blower to flaunt KitKat, the next version of Android, and be powered by the mighty Snapdragon 800 chip. It's supposedly rocking a 1,794x1,080-pixel screen too, and is likely to be announced later this month.

Are you dying for some new camera features from your new phone? What one thing would most improve your mobile pics? Take your best shot in the comments below, or on our photogenic Facebook page.

Image credit: MacRumors