The iPhone 7 could sport a camera with dual rear-facing cameras, according to a report out of Taiwan. There have been persistent rumors that Apple has been working on a big camera upgrade for the last couple of years as fans hope Apple catches up to competitors in incorporating this technology into its smartphone.
iPhone 7 camera with dual rear cameras
Most of the rumors about the iPhone 7 camera suggest that it will have dual lenses. This particular report from the Taiwanese Business Weekly (via The Register and Forbes) indicates that Apple has been working on the dual rear-facing camera technology for the past three years, so it shouldn’t be surprising that camera-related rumors have been going around for about that long. The website names Altek Corp CEO Xiaru Wen as the source of the information.
The purpose for the dual cameras is to add depth-sensing to the iPhone 7’s camera, which would bring Apple in line with Samsung, Huawei and other competitors that already incorporate the technology into their smartphones.
Apple lags behind competitors
The Register notes that Apple filed a patent relating to dual image sensors about five years ago, but the website states that problems with image quality and the company’s supply chain have resulted in delays getting the tech into the iPhone.
Supposedly Apple has solved these problems by inking a deal with Largan, a camera manufacturer that supplies a lot of components for the iPhone 6. Apple also reportedly acquired LinX Computational Imaging this year, which should also help with the dual-camera technology.
iPhone 7 rumors abound
The question now is whether the technology will be ready for this year’s iPhone 6S, but it seems very unlikely. This is why so many websites are linking the tech to next year’s iPhone 7.
Recently the rumors about future iPhone models have gotten more and more specific. Some rumors pertain not to this year’s or even next year’s iPhone but the 2018 model. This would certainly explain why some rumors about various iPhone models last for years before the tech they’re talking about actually comes into being.
