Apple will launch at least one new iPhone model with a triple-lens rear camera in 2019, it has been claimed – and now it appears it might boast a ‘superzoom’.
A Deutsche Securities report from Jialin Lu claims the triple-lens camera system will enable advanced 3D sensing via stereoscopic vision, with two of the sensors able to capture images of a single object from different angles.
A triangulation method would then be used to obtain the distance between the iPhone and the object, allowing for more advanced augmented reality features.
The third lens would likely have a longer focal length for enhanced zoom capabilities, according to Lu.
Recent discussions with Apple supplier Largan Precision indicate that Apple may be planning to release at least one iPhone model in 2019 that features a triple-lens camera system
This could enable a 3x optical zoom on an iPhone for the first time, enabling users to magnify the image in the viewfinder by up to three times without a blurry reduction in quality like digital zoom, according to MacRumours.
The iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models feature 2x optical zoom for comparison.
It follows a recent report Apple may be planning to release at least one iPhone model in 2019 that features a triple-lens camera system, the Taipei Times reported.
The report cites a research note from Yuanta Securities, which says Apple could launch an iPhone with three rear 12-megapixel cameras and optical image stabilization, which helps to make photos less blurry and produces smoother video footage.
Yuanta Securities drew that conclusion after conversations with Apple supplier Largan Precision, which produces smartphone lenses for the tech giant.
Research firm Yuanta Securities predicts that if Apple decides to release a triple-camera iPhone, that other smartphone vendors like Samsung and Huawei will likely follow suit
They predict that if Apple decides to release a triple-camera iPhone, that other smartphone vendors like Samsung and Huawei will likely follow suit.
Currently, the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 Plus come with dual 12mp rear cameras.
A triple-lens camera could be used for a variety of applications, such as enhancing low-light image quality.
It’s also possible that it would be used to power advanced mapping systems or range-finding, which could improve ARKit applications and create new camera effects, AppleInsider said.
This isn’t the first report to suggest that Apple is considering a three-camera system.
Apple could possibly use a triple-lens system to power advanced mapping systems or range-finding, which could improve ARKit applications and create new camera effects
Last month, a report from the Taiwan’s Economic Daily News said Apple is working on a phone with three rear cameras for 2019.
It noted that the firm wants to build a camera system with three 12mp rear lenses, citing industry sources as confirmation.
The cameras would allow the rumored iPhone to have powerful 5x zoom vs. the current 2x zoom system.
The reports come as rumors are already flooding in about what devices Apple may release at its annual September event.
It’s only been six months since Apple released the $1,000 iPhone X, but many speculate that the firm has a lot in store for its successor.
Speculation has been building that Apple is slated to release a 6.1-inch iPhone next year that serves as a follow up to the 10th anniversary iPhone X.
The second-generation iPhone X would feature an even bigger screen, yet it may have a cheaper price point at just $550 (£550) vs. the $999 (£999) iPhone X.
A 6.1-inch screen would be the firm’s largest iPhone yet.
Apple submitted a Russian-language filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) that seeks to register 11 separate iPhone models, one of which could be a refurbished iPhone SE (pictured). The firm hasn’t updated its popular budget phone since it launched in 2016
WHAT ARE THE 2018 iPHONE RUMOURS SO FAR?
Apple has yet to unveil the iPhone 8, but the latest rumours of its 2018 smartphone have already hit the web.
In August rumours from the supply chain said the iPhone 9 will be available in two sizes, including one with a massive screen that would be Apple’s biggest yet.
The ‘Plus’ size will reportedly have a 6.46-inch screen and will be sold alongside a smaller 5.85-inch model in a bid to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note.
The leak came from a source within Samsung Display, the sole OLED supplier for the upcoming iPhones.
The source also said the smaller version was originally going to be a 5.28-inch model but that the firm upped it to 5.85 inches because of growing consumer demand for bigger-screen phones.
In August rumours from the supply chain said the iPhone 9 will be available in two sizes, including one with a massive screen that would be Apple’s biggest yet (stock image, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus)
A recent Apple leak suggested the firm could cancel the iPhone X.
An analyst says the new model’s disappointing sales could lead to the phone being cancelled – with production stopping as soon as this summer.
This could be the first time Apple has cancelled a phone model since the iPhone 5C in 2014.
Experts believe the lack of interest in the phone is largely due to the notch, which many potential Chinese customers believe removes too much space on the screen.
Now, Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities says Apple will release three new iPhone models including a slightly cheaper 6.1-inch phone without 3D touch.
It could also release an updated iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED screen and a larger 6.5-inch OLED model, potentially called the iPhone X Plus.
The 6.1-inch phone will feature an aluminium frame similar to the iPhone 8 and the display will be an LCD panel instead of OLED, he predicted.
The 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus will have similar specifications as the current design but an OLED display and 4GB of RAM, he predicts.
Longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, who has correctly predicted the firm’s moves in the past, believes a 6.1-inch iPhone may be on the way that has many of the same features as the iPhone X but features a cheaper price point.
That’s as Apple recently submitted a Russian-language filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) that seeks to register 11 separate iPhone models.
It’s common for several model numbers to correspond with one iPhone, so it’s likely that Apple isn’t actually planning to release nearly a dozen new devices.
The filing helps to support the theory that Apple is planning to release a new version of its popular budget phone, the iPhone SE, which hasn’t been refurbished since it was first released in 2016.