There’s been much talk of the iPhone 7 possibly arriving in three distinct variants, only the biggest and best of which was set to receive a new dual-camera system from
Tweeting as @OnLeaks, Hemmerstoffer revealed detailed CAD documents showing just two models, a standard 4.7in iPhone 7 and a 5.5in iPhone 7 Plus (or perhaps ‘iPhone 7 Pro’).
Now, famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the original source of the three-model iPhone 7 rumour, has also revised his predictions to include only two models, rather than three in his latest note to Investors.
"Dual-camera to become a must-have feature for high-end smartphone. The initial market response to Huawei’s (CN) new flagship dual-camera model, P9, has been better than expected, and we estimate shipments may reach 10mn units in 2016F. In our view, more high-end smartphones will adopt this feature going forward. And, in order to maintain its leading position in the high-end market, we expect Apple will fully adopt dual-camera on the new 5.5-inch iPhone in 2H16" - Ming-Chi Kuo note to investors. As reported by 9To5Mac).
Keeping just two models simplifies the buying decision, but more significantly, moves the dual-camera technology away from a niche ,high-end product and into the mainstream.
It also widens the feature gap between the two types of iPhone 7, making the larger model a significantly better option for photography. This difference is stretched still further, by the rumoured inclusion of 3GB of RAM in the iPhone 7 Plus. That’s three times the memory found in either the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
Apple may be a little late to the game with a dual-camera solution, but there are many different ways to implement such a technology, bringing a variety of possible performance and design gains.
The Huawei P9, for example, uses discrete colour and monochrome cameras which combine their output to dramatically increase its overall light gathering capability. Furthermore, by using modestly-sized lenses, rather than larger wide-aperture ones, the P9 has completely removed the much derided “camera bump” found on many single-camera flagships, including the current iPhone range.
In a radically different configuration, the twin cameras of the LG G5 each offer different magnification and pixel counts, allowing the user to switch between standard and wide angle views without the need for any clip-on lens accessories.
Twin-lens output can also be processed to create DSLR-like images where subjects pop from softly blurred backgrounds.
I’ve been saying for some time now that multi-camera setups are the way forward for smartphone photography and what we’re seeing now is only the beginning of some revolutionary changes.
Given Apple’s previous track record for innovation, we can surely expect something remarkable from the iPhone 7 Plus and quite possibly something unlike anything we’ve seen before.
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