Apple to launch iPad Pro with 3D sensing, 'iPhone SE 2' in first half of 2020

AppleInsider

Apple is on schedule to debut an iPad Pro model with new 3D sensing equipment, as well as a long-rumored iPhone SE follow-up, in the first half of 2020, according to TF Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Ming-Chi Kuo in a note to investors on Wednesday said Apple will integrate a time-of-flight sensor into the iPad Pro rear-facing camera system, reports MacRumors.

Similar to the TrueDepth camera system, TOF systems generate highly accurate depth maps by calculating light. Instead of analyzing structured light patterns, like those emitted by TrueDepth VCSEL dot projectors, TOF modules measure the time it takes pulses of light to travel to and from a target surface. Not only is the resulting depth data more accurate, but TOF sensors can operate at longer distances than structured light solutions.

Apple's interest in the advanced imaging technology dates back to early 2018 and is expected to see use in augmented reality applications. More recently, reports claimed the company was looking at 3D sensor hardware from existing camera supplier Sony.

Kuo's prediction lines up with a report from Bloomberg, which earlier this week said Apple is planning to release a next-generation iPad with 3D sensor and dual-camera array in 2020.

Beyond iPad Pro, the analyst reiterated previous forecasts of a so-called "iPhone SE 2" launch sometime in the first half of 2020.

Much to the chagrin of fans of small form factor handsets, the budget iPhone is expected to sport a design and screen size borrowed from iPhone 8. Kuo believes Apple will rely on its new A13 Bionic processor, introduced with iPhone 11 and 11 Pro, to power the device with the help of 3GB of RAM.

Apple's "iPhone SE 2" is anticipated to carry a price tag of $399 and come in 64GB and 128GB varieties.

DAalseth

<blockquote> Beyond iPad Pro, the analyst reiterated previous forecasts of a so-called "iPhone SE 2" launch sometime in the first half of 2020.  </blockquote> 
oh no no no. I ain’t playing this game. Sure there’s always something great just six months out, then another six months, then another. The next thing you know it’s 2019 and you’re still running an iPhone 3GS. I am getting an 11 and that’s that. 

davebarnes

I am ready to spend money on a new iPad.
But, the screen resolution needs to be much higher (double?) in order to get me to buy.
Cost is not an issue.
The one I have is "good enough".

fastasleep

davebarnes said:

I am ready to spend money on a new iPad.
But, the screen resolution needs to be much higher (double?) in order to get me to buy.
Cost is not an issue.
The one I have is "good enough".

264ppi isn't high enough for you? Are you using a magnifying glass or something?

fastasleep

The TOF camera will bring 3D scanning to the iPad. I've been messing with the Capture app on my iPhone X a bit and intend to put this to use way more when I can actually see the display *and* scan objects at the same time. Right now it's awkward and difficult because the iPhone only has TrueDepth on the front-facing camera.

harry wild

The SE2 needs to move upscale beyond the 11 Pro and start at $1.5K foe base model and go all the way to $2.2K for the 2TB model! 5GB RAM and all of the iPhone 12 Pro components.

mattinoz

If they want to up the chops of the iPads 3d scanning abilities why don't they move the cameras further apart instead of clustering them?

Still, if this can let me walk into a room do a slow pano sweep and a couple of overall measurements and get a 3D model I'll be buying a new iPad.

wizard69

fastasleep said:

The TOF camera will bring 3D scanning to the iPad. I've been messing with the Capture app on my iPhone X a bit and intend to put this to use way more when I can actually see the display *and* scan objects at the same time. Right now it's awkward and difficult because the iPhone only has TrueDepth on the front-facing camera.

Your assuming, and I’m assuming you are right, but that sensor could be on the front facing sensor.  Some times rumors and the details don’t line up.   

In any event you are right in that a wide capability to do 3D scanning would be most interesting.    Sadly this will need to be better than anything Apple has offered and better than most of the current solutions to be of highest value.    It would be neat if the scanning would produce a common 3D cad format as one way to process the data.  

Bwlmog

I’m not overly bothered with the Camera functionality in the next IPad Pro. I’m more interested in an A13X chip for additional future proofing, a bump in RAM to at least 6gb (like the current 1TB version) and ideally to see the Atmos sound support move across from the current IPhone lineup.

Really hope it comes in the first quarter for 2020.

fastasleep

mattinoz said:

If they want to up the chops of the iPads 3d scanning abilities why don't they move the cameras further apart instead of clustering them?

Still, if this can let me walk into a room do a slow pano sweep and a couple of overall measurements and get a 3D model I'll be buying a new iPad.

What makes you think that moving the cameras further apart would improve things? It's meant to work as a camera system as well, so separating them might not be a good idea. If it were, don't you think they would consider that? Also, what does that have to do with VCSEL or TOF sensors?

fastasleep

wizard69 said:

fastasleep said:

The TOF camera will bring 3D scanning to the iPad. I've been messing with the Capture app on my iPhone X a bit and intend to put this to use way more when I can actually see the display *and* scan objects at the same time. Right now it's awkward and difficult because the iPhone only has TrueDepth on the front-facing camera.

Your assuming, and I’m assuming you are right, but that sensor could be on the front facing sensor.  Some times rumors and the details don’t line up.   

In any event you are right in that a wide capability to do 3D scanning would be most interesting.    Sadly this will need to be better than anything Apple has offered and better than most of the current solutions to be of highest value.    It would be neat if the scanning would produce a common 3D cad format as one way to process the data.  

You can already do 3D scanning with the front-facing VCSEL stuff in the True Depth camera system; as I said I'm already doing it with my iPhone X. The app I mentioned can output common 3D formats that I can import into and open in Xcode for VR or import into any 3D app, etc. So, not sure what you're talking about.

I'm not "assuming", this is literally from the article:

"Kuo said the iPad Pro models will gain 3D sensing through the rear-facing camera system. Apple is expected to use a time-of-flight system, which measures the time that it takes for light to bounce off of objects in a room to generate a 3D map."

Now if you're going to generate a 3D map of an area, why would you put those sensors on the front-facing camera array? 

OnPartyBusiness

If this phone will just go backwards and have a headphone jack I will be buying one. As it is, I’ll probably keep my iPad Pro 10.5 inches forever because I still want my headphone jack!

OutdoorAppDeveloper

The term "time of flight" has finally been linked with an Apple product. If you think 3D sensing is exciting, you should see what time of flight can do with GPS signals. Imagine millimeter accuracy positioning by triangulating GPS satellites using fixed cell towers.

mattinoz

fastasleep said:

mattinoz said:

If they want to up the chops of the iPads 3d scanning abilities why don't they move the cameras further apart instead of clustering them?

Still, if this can let me walk into a room do a slow pano sweep and a couple of overall measurements and get a 3D model I'll be buying a new iPad.

What makes you think that moving the cameras further apart would improve things? It's meant to work as a camera system as well, so separating them might not be a good idea. If it were, don't you think they would consider that? Also, what does that have to do with VCSEL or TOF sensors?

Yes, indeed bad assumptions on my part. Works in animal vision systems and photo mapping of 3D.

The phone doesn't care about such things it not building a map of the world. It just wants to layer a flat image to display on a flat plane intermixed with other flattened imagery. Photogrammetry is slow and needs a lot of data to persist. TOF flight is quick and requires no understanding of what happened before and better suited to what computer wants to do.

atomic101

fastasleep said:

davebarnes said:

I am ready to spend money on a new iPad.
But, the screen resolution needs to be much higher (double?) in order to get me to buy.
Cost is not an issue.
The one I have is "good enough".

264ppi isn't high enough for you? Are you using a magnifying glass or something?

Nope.  264ppi is iPad 3 tech.  No need for a magnifying glass as my eyesight is great, and I can discern pixels, fuzziness, and the "screen door effect" from a reasonable distance.  A bump to a higher resolution (as is already done on phones), is warranted nearly 7 years later.

fastasleep

atomic101 said:

fastasleep said:

davebarnes said:

I am ready to spend money on a new iPad.
But, the screen resolution needs to be much higher (double?) in order to get me to buy.
Cost is not an issue.
The one I have is "good enough".

264ppi isn't high enough for you? Are you using a magnifying glass or something?

Nope.  264ppi is iPad 3 tech.  No need for a magnifying glass as my eyesight is great, and I can discern pixels, fuzziness, and the "screen door effect" from a reasonable distance.  A bump to a higher resolution (as is already done on phones), is warranted nearly 7 years later.

If you say so.