iPhone With Triple-Lens Rear Camera With 3D Sensing Technology In The Works?

Apple is believed to be working on a new iPhone — possibly called iPhone 12 — with a triple-lens rear camera setup. The back camera module is also said to feature 3D sensing and enhanced zoom capabilities.

MacRumors reported Monday that Taiwanese-language news outlet Economic Daily News has claimed that the Cupertino giant is developing a next-generation iPhone with three camera lenses on its back. The outlet is said to have gotten such information from a research note made by Deutsche Securities analyst Jialin Lu.

Lu stated in his note that the triple-lens setup has the capacity to do advanced 3D sensing via stereoscopic vision. Two sensors of the module are said to capture images of an object from different angles and the technology will then be able to tell the distance between that object and the iPhone. Lu also disclosed that the third lens in the module is designed to have a longer focal length. This makes it possible for the lens to have enhanced zoom capabilities.

The 3D sensing technology of the upcoming iPhone will have the same purpose as that of the TrueDepth camera system that Apple introduced with last year’s iPhone X. Hence, it will play a part in augmented reality features. Meanwhile, the long-focus lens will likely allow 3x optical zoom, which is going to be a first for the iPhone series. To note, the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X only have 2x optical zoom. The new feature will reportedly allow users to magnify images in the viewfinder by up to three times without worrying about picture quality.

It won’t be surprising if Lu’s statements turn out to be true, since Apple has been focused on improving the camera technology of its iPhones year after year. Moreover, Bloomberg’s Alex Webb and Yuji Nakamura said last November that future iPhones could come equipped with 3D sensing technology.

It’s important to note that while Apple is working on these new technologies for a 2019 iPhone model, Huawei has already introduced an Android smartphone that has the same camera setup and 3x optical zoom capabilities. Last March, the Chinese brand launched its P20 Pro handset, which is the first-ever smartphone to come with a triple-lens back camera module. The P20 Pro’s setup is composed of a 40-megapixel lens, a 20-megapixel monochrome lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with a maximum of 3x optical zoom.

Apple, as always, has not commented on the reports. The company typically does not react to leaks and predictions. Therefore, it’s best to take everything with a grain of salt until the company itself has confirmed all of these things.