The iPhone 7 and its companion iPhone 7 Plus could be the most highly-anticipated iPhones Apple has ever remained quiet about. It is this reluctance to say anything, including even acknowledging their existence, that has resulted in the constant rumors and supposed leaks we’ve seen of late. So in this article, I am going to take a look at what we know/is being rumored about the handsets’ camera. So sit back and get ready for some interesting, if not hefty speculation.
iPhone 7 with iSight camera
Just a couple of days ago, leaked images of camera parts that are supposedly meant for this year’s 4.7-inch iPhone 7 suggested that Apple could include a feature found on the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus.
The image, which was leaked by NowhereElse, shows what the website says is the iPhone 7’s iSight camera, which appears to include optical image stabilization. If you take a look at the picture above, you will be able to see four notches on the iPhone 7’s lens. They have previously only been found on Plus model handsets.
iPhone 7 Plus may have 21MP camera with DSLR quality
Both the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus are said to be getting cameras which are a vast improvement over those found on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The biggest improvement is rumored to be happening on the 7 Plus, as the handset could be the recipient of the long-rumored dual-camera set-up. It is this technology that could enable Apple to create an iPhone that can produce DSLR-quality images.
Is this true? We will have to wait and see, but Sony recently launched a range of new camera sensors which include technology that fits with this rumor. Why mention Sony? It is Apple’s camera sensor supplier, and Apple could be about to include Sony’s latest 21-megapixel sensor in the iPhone 7 Plus using a 1 or 2.4-inch measurement, which means it would be a compact camera.
iPhone 7 camera bulge
One minor irritant for a few iPhone6/6s owners was the existence of a bulge around the camera lens, and some complained that it would from time to time snag on material or made the lens more susceptible to scratching. With the iPhone SE, Apple went some way toward curing this irritant by sitting the camera lens flush with the handset’s body.
However, if you were hoping for more of the same SE correctness in the iPhone 7, you are going to be a little disappointed. The bulge will reportedly be back, although this time, if you believe the recent mockup image, with smoother edges that won’t snag.
iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus camera differences
If the rumors are correct, this could be the first time in three generations of the iPhone that two new handsets won’t have the same features. Apart from size and resolution, there is expected to be one huge difference this year, and that is the inclusion of a dual-camera set-up on the iPhone 7 Plus.
According to some reports, this dual-camera will give the handset some exciting features which won’t be available on the standard iPhone 7. Plus, rumors are suggesting that because of this new camera technology, the iPhone 7 Plus will require more RAM than its sibling.
So because there will be a divide between the two handsets, is Apple going to tell potential buyers of the iPhone 7 that they cannot have the same quality of experience as those who buy the dual-camera model?
It’s likely that some potential customers will not like being forced into having to choose between two different iPhone camera experiences. To me, this just does not make sense. Imagine if Samsung had placed different camera technologies inside the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Galaxy S7; there would have been backlash.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will likely try at some point to explain why the handsets have different cameras with arguments like that the dual-camera tech takes up too much space for the iPhone 7 or the implied costs would make the handset unviable. However, some iPhone customers now believe that Apple does not care what they think or want in an iPhone 7; instead, they assume that Apple is simply financially orientated with the bottom line being its only concern.
