Apple has long been rumored to bring a dual-lens camera module with the upcoming 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. The regular iPhone 7’s camera may be enhanced with optical image stabilization. Now a new report coming out of Korea claims that LG Innotek will be the sole supplier of dual-lens camera modules for the iPhone 7 Plus. Citing industry sources, Business Korea reported that LG Innotek could start shipping the modules as early as this month.
iPhone 7 Plus expected to change public perception of the technology
Apple’s regular image sensor supplier Sony was expected to grab a lion’s share of the dual-lens module business from the iPhone maker. But the Japanese electronics giant said last month that it would withdraw from the dual camera module business due to earthquake damage at one of its plants and low production yields. One reason for LG grabbing the deal could be its experience in making dual camera modules.
LG G5 already ships with a dual-lens camera, so does Huawei P9. However, these phones have been unable to raise the public perception of the dual camera technology. So, many see the upcoming iPhone 7 Plus as the first major device to ship with this technology. But Apple’s biggest rival is out there to steal the show from the next-gen iPhone. Yes, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 is said to feature a dual-lens camera, and it will arrive earlier than the iPhone 7 Plus.
Galaxy Note 7 may steal the show
The dual lens camera will be one of the biggest highlights of the Galaxy Note 7, besides the iris scanner and 6GB RAM. Samsung has filed trademark applications for “Samsung Eyeprint” and “Samsung Iris”, indicating that the phone will have an iris scanner. The Note 7 is said to be unveiled in the first week of August, and go for sale in the US and Europe in mid-August. That will give Samsung about three weeks of head-start over the iPhone 7 Plus.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will reportedly have the same chassis as the iPhone 6S, but they will get rid of the headphone jack and the rear antenna bands. Other rumored specs include A10 processor, 3GB RAM, and a 256GB of storage for the larger Plus variant.
