China’s Sneaki Design has a new smartphone camera technology called SwitchLens that makes it possible to use professional-quality interchangeable lenses with existing Android and iOS phones. It does this via a phone-mounting external camera unit that has its own one-inch CMOS sensor and coupling device for lenses built to the Micro Four Thirds (M43) open standard. The pro-sized sensor captures still images as 21MP in either the RAW or JPEG formats, and 60p MOV video at up to 4K. Existing M43 compatible lenses from manufacturers including Panasonic and Olympus work with SwitchLens, according to Sneaki Design.

“SwitchLens is an independent camera system that can be magnetically attached to your iOS/Android smartphone via a MagSafe/Qi2 ring,” writes CineD, explaining that “your smartphone connects to the camera via Wi-Fi, and a free photo/video app allows you to adjust your camera settings and capture photos/footage.”

The SwitchLens image sensor is “twice as large as those in flagship smartphones, capturing more light and delivering high-resolution, quality images,” according to the camera’s Kickstarter campaign page.

SwitchLens is “available with one of two sensors — Sony Type 1 or Micro Four Thirds — but both sit within the same MFT mount used by Olympus/OM System cameras and Panasonic G cameras, as well as a number of Blackmagic cameras,” Digital Camera World reports. SwitchLens says the unit lets you “use all your existing M43 compatible lenses.”

The app enables the full range of regular camera settings, including white balance (2600K to 8600K) and shutter speed (10s to 1/8000th). The ISO, indicating sensor’s receptivity to light is 100 to 12,800, but expandable to 50–25,600.

The initial SwitchLens release, set for November 24, won’t have autofocus capabilities, but CineD says that will likely be added soon thanks to the successful crowdfunding campaign, which ended July 26. The app does have a Focus Peaking mode, which overlays sharply focused areas in vibrant colors as a visual aid in quickly identifying where the focus is.

SwitchLens touts “the highest quality selfies you’ve ever taken,” due to the detachable camera unit, which can be placed strategically within 10 meters (32 feet) and operated via Wi-Fi using the smartphone. The Kickstarter page offers full specs, including the unit’s 200g/7oz weight with its rechargeable AA size battery.

Sneaki Design is offering rewards and bundles “starting at $199 for the body only, $346 for the 3-lens kit, and $649 for the 6-lens kit,” CineD writes.

SwitchLens isn’t the first to try this configuration. In 2014, the Sony QX1 external phone camera unit with a half-inch sensor and independent lens mount was released. A year later, the comparable Olympus AIR A01 hit the market. Both failed to gain traction.

A new model, the Alice Camera, which launched via a 2021 crowdfunding campaign and is just being released now, is also built around an MFT sensor and the use of MFT lenses.