When: an LED flash light in a cell phone?

So,
Some of the cellphones with cameras in them have an LED that is used as secondary lighting for the camera.

I wonder when a manufacturer is going to go "all out" and put a decent LED with decent output in there so that it could be used as a flashlight, instead of carrying another gadget with you.

The benefits would be:

- For anyone going to their car at night, if needed they would instantly always have a flashlight with their cellphone - and who doesn't carry a cell phone nowadays?

- If some of the camera phones already have an LED for lighting, why not just upgrade it to be more useful. Probably wouldn't take up too much more space.

- There's already a decent LiOn rechargeable battery in the phone... no extra cost there.

I always have my cell with me, it would be nice not to always have to remember to bring along a light also..

To the manufacturer that does this: you're welcome for the marketing idea and I won't even charge you.

Too late. I have already seen it on someone's phone, but I didn't get to see which one it was.

Some Nokias already have them, my previous Sony had 2 led flash that could be turned on and used as a flashlight at lower output.

It was probably about 10 lumen, good colour.. Didn't use it much since I EDC a light

A lot of people use the screen as a light and that works reasonably well. For people who don't hang out on this forum it is a nice feature.

Sverre

I have a G'Zone ( Casio through Verizon ) phone, and the LED flash also has a constant on mode that works as a Flashlight. Its enough light to see a keyhole, or work around a room, not quite as bright as a photon light. Much better than nothing !

A nichia would work, but not any of the high output ones. Seeing how small the phones (and their battery) get, they would get drained really quick.

Most cell phones have small batteries that are unsuitable to the task of running a high power emitter, so all they use are tiny low power SMD LEDs.

I have a Sony W810i with a light and it even has the ultra important SOS mode lol.

It's definatly bright enough to be useful but there is no reflector or lens so its all flood

I have this Casio/Verizon phone. Yes, It has built in LED light!
I got this phone cause it claims to be "Mil Spec" Was getting tired of all these newer "fragile" phones.

frisco

Mountain Man said:

I have a G'Zone ( Casio through Verizon ) phone, and the LED flash also has a constant on mode that works as a Flashlight. Its enough light to see a keyhole, or work around a room, not quite as bright as a photon light. Much better than nothing !

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Now this is another really interesting thread. A good idea whose time has come. But compared to cell phones, I've much more faith in the quality of flashlights. Put another way, for the price of a barely half-way decent cell phone, you can get a really great flashlight. Moreover, customer service on cell phones is pitiful at best, whereas customer service of the sort reported in the CPF Cheers is infinitely better. So I guess I'd rather see one of our high quality flashlight manufacturers put in whatever phone circuitry is required to add that feature to a fine light.

frisco said:

I have this Casio/Verizon phone. Yes, It has built in LED light!
I got this phone cause it claims to be "Mil Spec" Was getting tired of all these newer "fragile" phones.

frisco

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First day I bought the phone, I WASHED it in front of a few people. THEY WERE SHOCKED !

I know a few people who had phones ireparably damaged by puddles, rain, even soda.

My Pantech C3 (Cingular) has a built in LED flashlight, not sure if it's a flash for the camera though.

I used to have an LG VX8100 from Verizon that used an LED as the flash for the camera. Back in the days before I had any decent flashlights I used the cell phone as a flashlight. I had to activate the camera first and then press another button to activate the fash. The buttons that I needed to press where located on the side of the phone. There was no need to open the phone. I think I read in some brochure that the flash was meant to be used as a flashlight. I only read it once though and I did not hear any mention of it anywhere else.

NoFair said:

"..A lot of people use the screen as a light and that works reasonably well. For people who don't hang out on this forum it is a nice feature.
Sverre

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Agreed...set your background to 'white' and you'd be surprised what useable light you might already have.

Lots of cell phones now have pretty good LEDs in them. Lumileds has been selling the PWM1 for quite a while. Some of us played around with it. They seem to have newer stuff now. The die seemed to be the same as Luxeon, but because of the package, you did not get as much light out. Maybe you can use a rebel now? You can probably squeeze some power out of the battery for a good flashlight, but I would think the bigger issue is what to do with the heat. A big heat sink on a phone is not going to go over well..... and generally they are just hunks of plastic.

The Sony W800i has a 2 Led flashlight that works well. I had one, and it's all flood and brighter than a Arc AAA-P. My K790a can light up the screen white for a very dim light or light up the red eye for the camera for a decently bright red light.

I've always found the flashlight feature on my mobile decent enough for most uses.

the batteries in most cellphones have very low capacity when compared to say, a RCR2, which is already considered too small to be useful for most high-power LEDs.

Good thread for the general public although methinks that everyone on CPF happily carries a separate flashlight (or more) because no mobile phone manufacturer could hope to come close to satisfying this group. Plus, the flashlight is a specialized tool with very specific duties and specifications carefully chosen by its owner... Hmm, when I think of it we actually spend more time and money upgrading our lights than the average phone junkie upgrades their handset.

If you have a blackberry there is software to give you control over the camera flash. Basically just makes it stick "on" and makes a small flashlight...i'll stick w/ edc'ing something else. But, the screen of my blackberry pearl is brighter than ultra-low on my 120P. It's pretty good for getting into bed without disturbing the fiancee.

I have the T-mobile Z3 and the led on that baby is really impressive. Almost up to par with the 9 led, but it don't have a hotspot, mainly floods. But very nice and it turns off around 2mins if nothing is pressed.

-E