Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
Dual Camera Smartphones Expected to Inspire New 'Killer Apps'
Spurred by industry leaders like Apple and Huawei, adoption of dual-camera or dual-lens smartphones is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. "We think the dual-cam rally is more about when than if," Morgan Stanley analyst Jasmine Lu wrote in a recent research report.
Lu believes dual cameras will catch on due to their impressive image quality and for future capabilities like 3D object mapping and depth analysis, all of which have the potential to lead to "killer apps" from smartphone manufacturers and third-party developers.
Dual cameras in the Huawei P9, image via VentureBeat
LinX camera modules were also capable of creating detailed depth maps to create 3D models. Such capabilities in the iPhone could lead to apps that are able to do impressive things, from mapping the layout of a room for envisioning new furniture layouts to 3D scanning a real-world object for printing or manipulation purposes. New augmented and mixed reality games that merge real-world objects with virtual objects are also a possibility with that kind of technology. Apps, says Lu, are a key factor that could heavily impact the appeal of dual camera devices.
Early dual camera smartphones may not focus on advanced features like 3D depth mapping, but as dual camera adoption expands and technology improves, it is a logical direction for dual camera evolution.
Apple, with the iPhone 7 Plus, and Huawei, with the upcoming P9, are expected to be the main drivers of dual camera adoption in 2016. The iPhone 7 Plus won't be available until September, but the P9, images of which were shared this morning by VentureBeat, is expected in the first half of 2016. Rumors suggest the camera will enable features like post-capture refocus and simulated aperture adjustment.
Lu believes dual cameras will catch on due to their impressive image quality and for future capabilities like 3D object mapping and depth analysis, all of which have the potential to lead to "killer apps" from smartphone manufacturers and third-party developers.
"We believe dual-cam not only helps narrow the image quality gap with SLR cameras but also allows developers to design new killer apps by leveraging in-depth analysis/mapping for 3D objects," Lu wrote. "We expect dual-cam to trigger a multiyear upgrade cycle for the optical industry."Rumors suggest Apple is working on a version of the iPhone 7 Plus that includes dual-lens camera technology acquired in its LinX purchase last year. LinX worked on smartphone cameras with the potential to cut down on noise, boost light sensitivity, enable refocusing, and improve the level of detail in captured images, narrowing the quality gap between DSLRs and mobile device cameras.
LinX camera modules were also capable of creating detailed depth maps to create 3D models. Such capabilities in the iPhone could lead to apps that are able to do impressive things, from mapping the layout of a room for envisioning new furniture layouts to 3D scanning a real-world object for printing or manipulation purposes. New augmented and mixed reality games that merge real-world objects with virtual objects are also a possibility with that kind of technology. Apps, says Lu, are a key factor that could heavily impact the appeal of dual camera devices.
Early dual camera smartphones may not focus on advanced features like 3D depth mapping, but as dual camera adoption expands and technology improves, it is a logical direction for dual camera evolution.
Apple, with the iPhone 7 Plus, and Huawei, with the upcoming P9, are expected to be the main drivers of dual camera adoption in 2016. The iPhone 7 Plus won't be available until September, but the P9, images of which were shared this morning by VentureBeat, is expected in the first half of 2016. Rumors suggest the camera will enable features like post-capture refocus and simulated aperture adjustment.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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46 months ago
After seeing the image quality, lowlight performance, and optical zoom capabilities of a dual lens system, I'll be very disappointed if the iPhone 7 doesn't have it. This needs to be a key feature for the 7, and not just a "7 Plus Pro" (if people are actually believing that). Otherwise, what else will the 7 bring new to the table?
46 months ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_3D-enabled_mobile_phones ('https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_3D-enabled_mobile_phones')
The first mobile phone with a 3D camera was available in 2007! It is almost 2017! :eek:
Of course Samsung stole the idea from Apple in 2007! /s
46 months ago
Don't care for killer apps. Give me killer photo quality.
If image quality is paramount, consider getting a dedicated camera. Smartphone cameras are incredible now and have very impressive in-phone processing and such -- but they're working against the physics of forcing light through a tiny lens onto a tiny sensor. Bigger lens/sensor = more light = more speed/more options.I'm sure phone camera quality will keep moving forward, and dual lenses/sensors will certainly help with that, but it's not like DSLR (or mirrorless) cameras are just sitting still either. They're leveraging the same advances in image processing that phones are and getting better all the time as well.
46 months ago
Well if you told analysts back in 2007 that in less than a decade we'd have phones with desktop-class CPUs and console-level GPUs, I imagine they'd be saying a pretty similar thing. Sadly we've got an App Store predominantly full of addictive freemium pay-to-play rubbish games.
Hardware innovation only goes so far towards inspiring great things.
Hardware innovation only goes so far towards inspiring great things.
46 months ago
Like everything Samsung release early in was a POS; they're still doing that.
Someone always has to be first, otherwise your beloved Apple wouldn't have much to offer.
46 months ago
I'd settle for a killer battery life. No more Iphones for me until Apple puts a larger battery in their 4.7" device.
This fixation on thinness is insane...
This fixation on thinness is insane...
46 months ago
This is one of those hardware releases I am tempted to take a month off and just whip something up for the novelty app market.
[doublepost=1456863099][/doublepost]
Freemium games are very big money. Get off the high horse, skip DefCon for a year and make an app that gives you your life ticket. Seen way too many talents eaten alive and spit out by open source communities and never properly rewarded.
[doublepost=1456863099][/doublepost]
Well if you told analysts back in 2007 that in less than a decade we'd have phones with desktop-class CPUs and console-level GPUs, I imagine they'd be saying a pretty similar thing. Sadly we've got an App Store predominantly full of addictive freemium pay-to-play rubbish games.
Hardware innovation only goes so far towards inspiring great things.
Freemium games are very big money. Get off the high horse, skip DefCon for a year and make an app that gives you your life ticket. Seen way too many talents eaten alive and spit out by open source communities and never properly rewarded.
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