Rumor: Apple testing dual-lens camera modules from Largan, others for future iPhones
Taiwan's Largan Technology and camera lens makers in China and Japan have sent dual-lens camera samples to Apple for testing, aiming for inclusion in Apple's next Plus-sized iPhone, a report claimed on Tuesday.
Largan already supplies over 60 percent of the cameras for iPhones (excluding their sensors), DigiTimes noted. As a result, the company could court other companies for dual-lens parts to avoid risks like production bottlenecks.
Supply chain sources didn't say if Apple was already leaning in a particular direction for parts orders.
Though DigiTimes has a mixed track record with Apple product news, the report echoes a recent claim by KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple's "iPhone 7 Plus" will offer a dual-lens option, the second lens providing telephoto functions. Although smartphones cameras are now approaching the quality of point-and-shoot compacts, very few smartphones offer optical zoom, which can magnify a subject without the pixellation inherent to digital zoom.
One of the main problems has been design, since telephoto lenses can often jut out from the body of a phone in a "bump" that's unbalancing and/or unsightly. A dual-lens configuration could partly circumvent the issue.
Largan already supplies over 60 percent of the cameras for iPhones (excluding their sensors), DigiTimes noted. As a result, the company could court other companies for dual-lens parts to avoid risks like production bottlenecks.
Supply chain sources didn't say if Apple was already leaning in a particular direction for parts orders.
Though DigiTimes has a mixed track record with Apple product news, the report echoes a recent claim by KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that Apple's "iPhone 7 Plus" will offer a dual-lens option, the second lens providing telephoto functions. Although smartphones cameras are now approaching the quality of point-and-shoot compacts, very few smartphones offer optical zoom, which can magnify a subject without the pixellation inherent to digital zoom.
One of the main problems has been design, since telephoto lenses can often jut out from the body of a phone in a "bump" that's unbalancing and/or unsightly. A dual-lens configuration could partly circumvent the issue.
Comments
All the information we have on sales and form factor indicates that the most popular size by a long shot is the 4.7" phone, followed by a reasonable chunk of people who still like the 4"form factor, and a really quite small group of folks that like the big plus size phones. In addition, despite Samsung's constant hyping and marketing of their large phablets, even in the Android world the smaller "regular" sized phones have always been far more popular.
To only put the latest features on a phone that commands the smallest segment of your customers doesn't make sense unless you want to actively drive people towards that form factor, and there isn't any reason why Apple should want that. It gives them no advantage.
The plus sized phones are also the only phones of the three sizes that certain people (with small hands) cannot use one handed. The other two sizes can easily be used one handed, depending on your hand size, but the plus is far too big for even big hands to use that way (with the exception of a few freakishly large folks of course).
If you look at the Pluses from the point of view of a photographer, you get a completely different, obvious answer.
The fact that you used a pejorative also makes me think that you're just being mean spirited rather than engaging in an actual debate as well.
Your argument (if I have it correctly) that they will market the plus series to photographers as "the ones with the best camera" doesn't actually address the counterpoint that I raised, that the optics of this move would be awful for the majority of the iPhone buying public. One of the main reasons people buy and like iPhones is the camera. It's still therefore a "bad" thing to tell everyone that they have to upgrade to (what to them is) the most awkward sized model just to get the "good" camera.
It's not out of the question that Apple will do this, (because physics), but it's easy to see that a lot of people will be pissed about it. The majority of folks who buy iPhones in fact. You know, the ones that don't buy the plus models.
What has happened to the ability to do simple reasoning? This forum has become a madhouse.
http://www.cnbc.com/2014/11/05/oh-snap-digital-camera-market-in-free-fall.html
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/2101371529/camera-shipments-2013-cipa
http://time.com/553/point-shoot-camera/
Cook and team and just riding the wave. They will try new things when they go less than 10% market share. too late, just like blackberry.
Really, MacRumors would be so much more welcoming to you.
Typically, you're ignoring that iPhone buyers have been living with 6 and 6 Plus camera differentiation for nearly two years now, with no signs of revolt. The Pluses also have better screens, note.
This forum has become a toxic stew of off-base whining and doom-saying. Stop it.
The old guard is slowly fading away.
Now, simply because I have issues with the new direction the company has taken since Tim Cook took over, somehow I am automatically a "troll"? That's laughable.
It's the folks that never change their opinions about Apple, despite Apple itself changing, that are the "trolls" (both pro and con) by definition. I'm always open to being convinced that I'm wrong, it's just that no one ever attempts to do so.
If you want me to lay it out for you, my current position is that Apple used to be a company that made the best products in the world and also and tried to do good things to better people's lives, but that now they are a money-grubbing, elitist company that services only the rich (while still making the best products in the world.)
If you truly like Apple then you might also somewhat idolize Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was famous for two things. The first was thinking about things very carefully and creatively, and thus changing his mind on issues instead of merely hanging onto past prejudices. The second was speaking his mind and not worrying about what all the lesser minds think about it or whether he is hurting their little feelings.
Ironically, doing either of these things on AppleInsider not only makes one a pariah, it often gets you banned for life.