Next-gen iPhone may feature dual-lens camera system capable of DSLR-quality photos

Shawn Knight

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Apple’s next iPhone may include a camera capable of providing DSLR-quality images. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber admitted as much during a recent episode of his podcast “The Talk Show” where he said a “birdie of a birdie” passed along the information.

Specifically, Gruber said he heard that next year’s camera might be the biggest camera jump ever on an iPhone. Sources told him that it’ll use some kind of two-lens system where the back camera somehow uses two lenses to capture up to DSLR-quality imagery.

apple introduce biggest camera jump -generation iphone iphone camera dslr lens smartphone camera dual lens iphone camera

The idea of two cameras on the back of a smartphone isn’t entirely original as HTC’s One M8, for example, shipped with such a setup earlier this year. In HTC’s system, the second camera is a depth-sensing camera that’s used by the phone’s software to offer up a selection of special effects.

Apple’s implementation sounds completely different.

One possibility for Apple’s new camera could be the just-announced Exmor RS IMX230 stacked CMOS sensor from Sony. Apple is no stranger to Sony sensors as they’ve been included in a number of past iPhones over the years.

Another possibility could be a two-lens system like the one being developed by Corephotonics. Their setup uses two lens at different focal lengths that provides a clever variant of optical zooming.

Apple has shipped an 8-megapixel rear camera with every iPhone model dating back to the iPhone 4 in 2011. Not willing to compete in the megapixel race, Apple has been content to improve other aspects of its camera system through the years which has kept it at or near the top in terms of overall image quality and capabilities.

Gruber has a pretty solid track record as it pertains to Apple rumors so we’ll have to see if this one picks up any steam over the coming months. With Apple having released its new batch of iPhones only two months ago, there’s plenty of time for the rumor mill to do its thing before the next generation arrives.

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Capable of dslr-quality images? not with a lens and a sensor that small. its just another gimmick. I can't wait for all the people who actually know anything about photography to chime in on this junk.
 
In optics, size does matter, and no Apple gimmicky Sony-made sensor is gonna challenge that any time soon.
 
Human senses can be tricked. although 1:1 direct would never be possible, there is no reason to think the pics can't be manipulated to fool our eyes.
 
Actually it was the 4S in 2011.
Y'all keep doubting apple will make it work just fine.no "pool" table needed.
 
I guess it all depends on who's taking the pictures: A trained photographer will probably shoot better pictures with a smartphone in perfect conditions than Joe Average will do with a high-end DSLR in bad conditions...
But as others have said: no way any smartphone can get the same result as a DSLR in all conditions. However, it is possible a DSLR can get the same results as a smartphone.
But what am I saying? If this really is from Apple, then it must be true.;)
 
Yeah... No. LOL

The argument that it is the photographer as much as the camera holds some truth but then it goes for any camera isn't it?

And that is not what the article claims. They claim the camera will have the same image quality as a DSLR which is complete BS.
 
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