Rumor: Apple testing dual-lens camera modules from Largan, others for future iPhones

AppleInsider

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.

stevie

Digitimes?  Gimme a break.

SpamSandwich

DigiTimes rumor ignored. Next!

pmz

The best part about this is how it will doubly affect the psyche of people who give a crap about the 1 protruding camera lens.

maxxe2

Yes yes yes yes please! Optical zoom and a larger sensor are the two features I am missing on my 6S

larrya

I certainly hope this is available on non plus phones, as low light performance on my 6 is significantly worse than that of the Galaxy S6 (just comparing screens at a recent music event) and I don't think it's any better on the 6s. 

FedGoat

Another gimmick since they can't think of anything else. "hey. let's just add more cameras and go on vacation for 2 years, the software guys have to come up with something for the S model" we all know the software will continue to look just like it has since iOS 7... flat and unchanged. I love iOS but damn it's getting boring look at the same screen for year after year with no changes other than wallpaper...

Mr_Grey

larrya said:

I certainly hope this is available on non plus phones, as low light performance on my 6 is significantly worse than that of the Galaxy S6 (just comparing screens at a recent music event) and I don't think it's any better on the 6s. 

I agree.  I think it would be an obvious mistake for Apple to only release this technology for the plus series phones, even if that's what the physics of the situation dictate.  I would rather they wait until it can be released on all of them, or at least on the mid-size 4.7" phone which lets face it, is really the "flagship" phone after all.  

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).  

flaneur

Mr_Grey said:

larrya said:

I certainly hope this is available on non plus phones, as low light performance on my 6 is significantly worse than that of the Galaxy S6 (just comparing screens at a recent music event) and I don't think it's any better on the 6s. 

I agree.  I think it would be an obvious mistake for Apple to only release this technology for the plus series phones, even if that's what the physics of the situation dictate.  I would rather they wait until it can be released on all of them, or at least on the mid-size 4.7" phone which lets face it, is really the "flagship" phone after all.  

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). 

A wall of pedestrian thinking here.

If you look at the Pluses from the point of view of a photographer, you get a completely different, obvious answer. 

fallenjt

Still, only camera improvement, it takes more than just an optical zoom to beat point-and-shoot camera quality: flash. The damn flash in smartphone currently is just pathetic and can't go beyond 5 feet. Wake me up when the flash can be sufficient at 10 ft+ which is standard distance for full body photo shoot.

nolamacguy

r4d4 said:

Another gimmick since they can't think of anything else. "hey. let's just add more cameras and go on vacation for 2 years, the software guys have to come up with something for the S model"  

ah yes, all the hardware improvements on iPhone are "gimmicks". unlike, say, the barely-functional copied features on samsung iphoney clones.

I love iOS but damn it's getting boring look at the same screen for year after year with no changes other than wallpaper...

you seem to be confusing your device's operating system w/ entertainment. it's a tool, not a TV show.

Mr_Grey

flaneur said:

Mr_Grey said:

I agree.  I think it would be an obvious mistake for Apple to only release this technology for the plus series phones, even if that's what the physics of the situation dictate.  I would rather they wait until it can be released on all of them, or at least on the mid-size 4.7" phone which lets face it, is really the "flagship" phone after all.  

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). 

A wall of pedestrian thinking here.

If you look at the Pluses from the point of view of a photographer, you get a completely different, obvious answer. 

Well, there is not actually any conflict between your position and mine they are just arguments for each side and each could accommodate the other at the end of the day.  But since my argument focusses on the entire market, sales trends and overall user preferences, whilst yours focusses only on a small sub-section of a sub-category of iPhone users ... I think I still win.  

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.

flaneur

fallenjt said:

Still, only camera improvement, it takes more than just an optical zoom to beat point-and-shoot camera quality: flash. The damn flash in smartphone currently is just pathetic and can't go beyond 5 feet. Wake me up when the flash can be sufficient at 10 ft+ which is standard distance for full body photo shoot. 

And wake me up when your point-and-shoot can send text, make phone calls, access the Internet, play your music and wake you up in the morning.

What has happened to the ability to do simple reasoning? This forum has become a madhouse.

nolamacguy

fallenjt said:

Still, only camera improvement, it takes more than just an optical zoom to beat point-and-shoot camera quality: flash. The damn flash in smartphone currently is just pathetic and can't go beyond 5 feet. Wake me up when the flash can be sufficient at 10 ft+ which is standard distance for full body photo shoot.

who's talking about better photos? the original comment was how amazing it was that it took about the stand alone camera market (which I read as point and shoots). that's simply fact. 

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/

FedGoat

nolamacguy said:

r4d4 said:

Another gimmick since they can't think of anything else. "hey. let's just add more cameras and go on vacation for 2 years, the software guys have to come up with something for the S model"  

ah yes, all the hardware improvements on iPhone are "gimmicks". unlike, say, the barely-functional copied features on samsung iphoney clones. you seem to be confusing your device's operating system w/ entertainment. it's a tool, not a TV show.

The OS is LONG overdue for some better features. dark mode (get rid of all the damn white shit, Real Widgets, let me put the damn apps where I want. auto arrange is ignorant, Siri; location based and people based reminders, and yes, 2 cameras is a gimmick. it won't take better pictures, it will just let you do dual focus. There are a million things that could be done to the OS to make it MUCH better. stop letting apple tell you that it's good enough as is. 
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. 

flaneur

r4d4 said:

nolamacguy said:

ah yes, all the hardware improvements on iPhone are "gimmicks". unlike, say, the barely-functional copied features on samsung iphoney clones. you seem to be confusing your device's operating system w/ entertainment. it's a tool, not a TV show.

The OS is LONG overdue for some better features. dark mode (get rid of all the damn white shit, Real Widgets, let me put the damn apps where I want. auto arrange is ignorant, Siri; location based and people based reminders, and yes, 2 cameras is a gimmick. it won't take better pictures, it will just let you do dual focus. There are a million things that could be done to the OS to make it MUCH better. stop letting apple tell you that it's good enough as is. 
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. 

Jesus, I thought we were done with widget heads. Your time was three years ago, when you tweakers were complaining about the "stale" OS.

Really, MacRumors would be so much more welcoming to you.

flaneur

Mr_Grey said:

flaneur said:

A wall of pedestrian thinking here.

If you look at the Pluses from the point of view of a photographer, you get a completely different, obvious answer. 

Well, there is not actually any conflict between your position and mine they are just arguments for each side and each could accommodate the other at the end of the day.  But since my argument focusses on the entire market, sales trends and overall user preferences, whilst yours focusses only on a small sub-section of a sub-category of iPhone users ... I think I still win.  

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.

You'll get no civil discussion from me until you let up on your ceaseless anti-Apple trolling.

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.

bestkeptsecret

flaneur said:

Mr_Grey said:

Well, there is not actually any conflict between your position and mine they are just arguments for each side and each could accommodate the other at the end of the day.  But since my argument focusses on the entire market, sales trends and overall user preferences, whilst yours focusses only on a small sub-section of a sub-category of iPhone users ... I think I still win.  

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.

You'll get no civil discussion from me until you let up on your ceaseless anti-Apple trolling.

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.

I agree with everything you said. The last point is just spot on. Too many new accounts spewing anti-Apple posts (excluding the few new ones who are actually here as Apple fans). 
The old guard is slowly fading away. 

Mr_Grey

flaneur said:

Mr_Grey said:

Well, there is not actually any conflict between your position and mine they are just arguments for each side and each could accommodate the other at the end of the day.  But since my argument focusses on the entire market, sales trends and overall user preferences, whilst yours focusses only on a small sub-section of a sub-category of iPhone users ... I think I still win.  

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.

You'll get no civil discussion from me until you let up on your ceaseless anti-Apple trolling.
...
This forum has become a toxic stew of off-base whining and doom-saying. Stop it.

This is really quite insane commentary and reflects your paranoia and personal upset more than anything.  I am a long-time Apple supporter since the early days of the company and I know a great deal about the company, it's products and it's history.  

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.