Reports have emerged the upcoming iPhone 7 will surprise users with a dual-lens camera featuring optical zoom for DSLR-quality images.
A statement from reliable Apple Insider KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, says Apple is readying a dual camera system with a 2x to 3x optical zoom, reportedly refined by camera tech company, LinX, 9 to 5 Mac said.
Rumors about a dual-camera setup began around the time Apple acquired Israeli camera tech company, LinX Computational Imaging Ltd. for $20 million in March last year.
Apple recently filed a Mobile Camera System patent earlier this month featuring improved zoom upgrades and other features that give credence to the rumor, a report from BGR confirmed.
The patent detailed a photosystem made up of two separate cameras functioning independently of each other that would enable users to zoom in on their subject without the loss of image quality.
One camera will contain an optical image stabilization (OIS) feature for a wider field of view, and the second camera unit will serve as a telephoto lens to create a narrower field of view.
The system would then save the separate images generated by the two camera modules, which will be merged to create the final image.
However, Kuo warned not all iPhone 7 versions will be getting this dual-camera setup, Yahoo said. Only the premium 5.5-inch iPhone Plus variant may be carrying the feature, while the 4.7-inch version will sport another type of camera.
Kuo further divulged only 30 percent of all iPhone 7 shipments will feature the dual-camera system, which would be the first time in iPhone history Apple will offer a significant difference between their regular and “Plus” flagship models.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are expected to be unveiled around fall this year, to follow the launch of Apple’s 4-inch special edition smartphone, the iPhone 5se in March.
