Rumor: Next-gen iPhone XR could feature twin-lens rear camera system

The current word in the rumor mill is that the iPhone XR follow-up model will feature a dual-lens rear camera come its release later this year. The upgrade could potentially deliver the company’s advanced photographic technology to an entry-level smartphone model for the first time.

As with the iPhone X and XS, one lens would be wide-angle and the other telephoto, according to Chinese suppliers. The current XR has a single wide-angle lens, identical to recent base level iPhone offerings. 

Apple has traditionally used telephoto lenses for two purposes, the first being a 2x optical zoom instead of digital enlargement. The second feature is Portrait mode, in which the telephoto becomes the primary lens, with the wide-angle lens capturing depth data used to isolate the subject and simulate DSLR-style bokeh. 

The current iPhone XR uses specialized algorithms to achieve a similar Portrait effect, but the resulting image is zoomed-out and not necessarily as accurate as its XS counterpart.

A number of reports have highlighted the flagship 5.8- and 6.5-inch “XI” and “XI Max” OLED iPhones as arriving with a triple-lens camera, the third lens possibly being a super-wide unit. It’s also been posited that two out of three lenses/sensors may be used as common parts to keep costs down.

Additional design changes to the next-gen iPhone XR could include iPad-style mute switches as well as the use of 3D-molded rear glass, which could cover the handset’s larger camera bumps. That same all-glass design is expected with the dual-camera XR successor, which could rely on a familiar 6.1-inch LCD screen.

It is also possible that the new phones will include USB-C to Lightning cables and 18-watt USB-C power adapters, but keep Lightning as their wired data type.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Via AppleInsider and Mac Otakara