iPhone 7 Plus cameras could have SLR-like image quality

The cameras in some upcoming iPhone 7 phones could be better than SLR/DSLR cameras as Apple puts to work the dual-lens camera system and 3D mapping technology it got with the acquisition of LinX.

In a research report, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities has noted that Apple is enabling upcoming versions like iPhone 7 Plus with the technology acquired from the Israeli firm. With this, iPhone 7 Plus is expected to bear a slimmer camera that does not stick out of the phone. It would offer SLR/DSLR-like picture quality, better pictures even in motion, ultra high dynamic range, and most importantly a 3D image scan from a two-dimensional photograph taken at multiple angles.

Apple had acquired LinX early in 2015 for about $20m (£14m, €18.3m) for its dual lens technology and 3D mapping. In the same year, Kuo had predicted that Apple was working on two models iPhone 7 Plus, bearing different cameras, one with an iSight rear-facing camera and another with a dual-camera design. Currently, iPhone 6s has the iSight camera. It is capable of taking pictures of 12 megapixel and shooting videos in 4K resolution with over 8 million pixels (four times higher than a 1080p high-definition video).

Dual-lens camera technology uses two lenses with different focal length in one camera. The dual lens help in shrinking the lens size, raising the resolution up to 21 megapixels, increasing ultra-high dynamic range and reducing shutter lag to minimal. 3D imaging can also assist in determining the size of two objects kept at a distance.

Apart from boasting a much better camera, the new model is rumoured to have improved battery life and extended storage space up to 256Gb. It could have a smaller screen size of 4.7 inches, but end-to-end screen with high resolution. It could also do away with a headphone jack for slimmer size. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus launch is expected somewhere in September 2016.