Which smartphone was the first to feature a triple rear camera setup?

The Huawei P20 Pro was the first widely recognized smartphone to feature a triple rear-camera setup. Released in 2018, it combined a 40-megapixel color camera, a 20-megapixel monochrome camera, and an 8-megapixel telephoto camera.

Huawei developed the arrangement with Leica, using the cameras for different jobs rather than simply repeating the same sensor three times. The color and monochrome sensors worked together for image detail and low-light processing, while the telephoto camera enabled optical zoom. Huawei also promoted hybrid zoom that combined optical and computational techniques.

The P20 Pro helped turn multi-camera phones into a mainstream flagship trend. Later devices expanded the idea with ultra-wide cameras, periscope lenses, and depth or time-of-flight sensors. A common mix-up is confusing it with the Huawei P30 Pro, which arrived later and became especially known for its periscope zoom and quad-camera system. Earlier phones had multiple rear cameras, but the P20 Pro is the standard answer for the first triple-rear-camera smartphone.