Rumor: next big iPhone will get variant with dual camera

The next big iPhone will get a variant with a dual camera on the back. That reports an analyst who has usually made correct predictions about unannounced Apple products. It has been clear for some time that Apple has at least toyed with the idea.

It is not yet clear what exactly Apple wants to achieve with the dual camera lens. Based on a report by KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, MacRumors said it expects a dual-lens variant of the “iPhone 7 Plus” to be released this fall to implement a system that would simulate optical zooming.

Apple would use the technology that LinX developed. The iPhone maker took over LinX last year. The Israeli company specialized in developing algorithms for using multiple cameras in smartphones.

LinX mentions the advantages of its technology that the camera modules can be thinner. Apple can use that, because the cameras of iPhones protrude slightly in current models. In addition, the system enables better low-light photography with less noise.

Kuo mentions that the dual-camera iPhone may be a more expensive version of a regular model, as Apple could not yet produce the necessary hardware in sufficient quantities.

A dual camera system on smartphones is nothing new on smartphones. The first devices with two cameras appeared in 2011, then for making 3D photos possible. HTC released its One M8 with dual camera in 2014, Huawei followed with the Honor 6 Plus. Both these devices make it possible, among other things, to ‘focus afterwards’ and to blur backgrounds. The LG V10 has a dual front camera to allow for wider angle shots.