Google Patents a Smartphone with Multiple LED Flashes

In the ongoing quest to improve the cameras on phones, Google has patented a way to allow for multiple LED flashes, instead of the single flash that's standard. Multiple versions of this have been patented, including a ring formation with eight LEDs.

While this doesn't seem like it would offer too much in terms of improved quality, the addition of multiple flashes could certainly help with some of the weaknesses of phone photography. Multiple flashes could also be used to take high-speed shots by firing in succession, or could be used in the creation of HDR photos.

(via PetaPixel)