Apple is testing two designs for its upcoming iPhone 7 Plus handset: one with a traditional single rear-facing camera and the other with a dual-camera design, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a research note.
The benefits of the dual-camera setup include faster speed, better resolution (especially in low light conditions) and the ability to incorporate 2-3x optical zoom.
The dual-lens camera system would take advantage of imaging algorithms that Apple acquired in its purchase last year of Israeli camera technology firm LinX Imaging, MacRumors reported.
Kuo says Apple will release both versions of the iPhone 7 Plus into the market. If that happens, Apple’s lineup of new smartphones could be four models: the rumored 4-inch iPhone SE, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7, and two models of the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus. The iPhone SE is expected to be unveiled at a media event this month, and the iPhone 7 series phones would follow in the fall.
Some industry observers are referring to the premium dual-camera smartphone as the iPhone 7 Pro, Forbes reported.
Dual-camera smartphones were a big topic of conversation among handset vendors at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week.
In a research report, investment bank Morgan Stanley said Apple and China’s Huawei are likely to drive the market for dual-cam smartphones. Huawei and LG Electronics both released dual-camera smartphones late last year. |