It’s expected that Apple will release the iPhone 7 lineup later this year, and we’ve heard repeatedly that a dual camera system may be included. Today we’re hearing repeats of that rumor and a related rumor. It sounds like the rumored dual camera system will be restricted to the larger iPhone 7 Plus, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Interestingly, it sounds like dual cameras might be the only major improvement as the analyst also warns that consumers might not be very impressed with this year’s iPhone lineup.
iPhone 7 lineup “could underwhelm”
In a new research note, Kuo reiterated the rumor that the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 won’t get the dual camera system and that it will only be available in the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus models, according to Mac Rumors. He said that the camera system is the biggest upgrade to the hardware and that the iPhone 7 lineup will have similar form factors to those of last year’s iPhone 6s lineup.
The analyst also warned, “First impressions could underwhelm,” noting that there are many competitors offering dual camera smartphones which will launch soon.
iPhone 7 Plus with both dual and single cameras
Kuo reported that Apple is working on two sets of iPhone 7 Plus models—one with a dual camera system and another with a single camera system. His report that only the larger iPhone 7 Plus will have the dual camera system conflicts with reports from other sources which claimed that the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 models will also have dual cameras, although as mentioned earlier, there’s been a lot of back and forth on this point.
Kuo’s report may be putting the rumor mill firmly on the side of the iPhone 7 Plus being the only part of the lineup offering the dual camera system, however. It should also be noted that the analyst has a very solid record in accurately reporting Apple-related rumors about products before they are unveiled.
Leaks about the dual camera system
We’ve heard rumors about a dual camera system for the iPhone for quite some time now, but they only started to pick up steam in January, making it seem more likely that this is the year Apple will include one. One reason this particular rumor is becoming stronger lately is because of the growing string of purported leaks about it.
There was a blurry photo which supposedly showed either the iPhone 7 Plus or the rumored iPhone Pro and a dual lens module that could work in the phablet, noted Mac Rumors. In February, Apple was said to have received samples of dual lens camera systems from suppliers so that it could start testing them in its iPhones. There was also a video supposedly showing how such dual cameras might work.
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Apple could tap LinX
The company’s acquisition of LinX added even more fuel to fire as the company owned technology for cameras with multiple apertures. The cameras are also smaller than those with single apertures, which would mean that the protruding lens could be smaller on the iPhone 7 Plus. The company’s camera modules also offer many other improvements over the current technology used by Apple, like 3D depth mapping, improvements in the accuracy of colors, ultra HDR, a reduction in noise levels, higher resolution, and others.
Apple also filed a patent for a dual camera system made up of a wide-angle lens like what’s in the current iPhone lineup and a telephoto lens that can zoom in to take photos and video.
