Huawei's Dual-Camera P9 Hints at What Apple Might Have in Store for iPhone 7 Plus

The upcoming iPhone 7 Plus is rumored to feature a dual-lens rear camera. While we've gotten some hints of what Apple might look to do with the technology given its acquisition of LinX Imaging last year, we're still not entirely clear on Apple's plans and so we can look to other vendors to get a taste of what we might expect.

The Huawei P9 is the latest flagship from the Chinese company, and on the rear of the device Huawei in partnership with Leica implemented two 12-megapixel cameras. These function by taking a photo from both cameras simultaneously and combining them in software. One camera captures a normal color image, while the second takes a monochrome image that allows for more focus on the lighting of a scene. The advantage, Huawei claims, is a better overall image with higher clarity and professional camera-like quality.


In this video featured on the MacRumors YouTube channel, we go hands-on to test how Huawei's dual-camera works, and to see whether this setup is worth the complexity and expense of implementing it. If you'd like to check out the full-resolution photos from the P9 compared to similar ones shot on an iPhone 6s, we've also shared galleries from both devices.

Huawei is not the first to use a dual-camera setup, and other vendors have used somewhat different combinations of cameras to achieve varying goals. The LG G5 uses two cameras to achieve different focal lengths, while the 2014 HTC One M8 used two cameras to allow for better depth perception.

We still have roughly two months before the expected announcement of the rumored iPhone 7, and we have yet to hear how Apple plans to use this system, but other rumored features include a slightly thinner build, faster Apple A10 processor, repositioned antenna bands, and the removal of the headphone jack.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

Sy7ygy Avatar
105 months ago
These replies stink of delusional Apple fanboyism.

The company you once loved are dead - & other companies are leading the way. Fact.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BornAgainMac Avatar
105 months ago
If two cameras can produce a better image. I wonder if 3 cameras will do even better.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smacrumon Avatar
105 months ago
Looking forward to the next all new iPhone. But, have to say, these iPhone copy cats are becoming better at refining their design and they're catching up incredibly fast now since Apple hasn't done much to their design. iPhone won't even be a competitor soon. Apple is in desperate need of lifting its game. 2017's phone will need to be astonishingly lovely, no pokey cameras or joiny-join antennas. And the software will need to be smooth and even more beautiful than it is. Excessive pricing will also need to be addressed. Customers will be too savvy for overpriced hardware especially when the profit margin is entirely an expression of corporate excess.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DotCom2 Avatar
105 months ago
Finally a face behind those easy to follow videos.
THANKS!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Thunderhawks Avatar
105 months ago
The awful bumps...
....do not effect any iPhone function.

There, completed it for you, looks like you were in a hurry and didn't complete the sentence.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
now i see it Avatar
105 months ago
DSLR quality? Hmmmm
Look how big this camera "bump" is.
Phones will have Point n Shoot quality forever (which is fine).



Attachment Image
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)