Legit source has confirmed that at least one of the three models of iPhone 12 of 2020 will have a deep 3D camera in the back.
The camera will consist of a system with sensors, a laser and software. A system that emits light to measure the distance between the phone and other objects and / or surfaces.
The 3D depth information will allow users to enjoy new photo and video effects, as well as new features in the field of augmented reality.
Apple has been working on this camera system for a long time
iPhone engineers have been working on this 3D camera for at least two years. The novelty has been on the list of possible new features for the iPhone, but it was not until this year when the technology was not ready. Although nothing is confirmed yet.
Some iPhone models already have a depth camera (TrueDepth) on the front. They are mainly used for the front camera facial recognition function and for some fun messaging effects like Animojis sending.
At the moment they are in the design phase, and the company in charge of manufacturing the laser for the 3D camera will be Lumentum, the same company that currently provides the laser for Face ID facial recognition.
From Lumentum they have mentioned that they will not provide data on the use of their laser in devices that have not yet been announced.
But Apple won’t be the first company to add a deep rear camera to its mobile phones. Samsung did the same with its Galaxy Note 10, its Galaxy S20 + and its Galaxy S20 Ultra, as well as other Android manufacturers. But as usual over the past few years, Apple will surely take the existing technology and modify it to perfect the experience.
What new features would a 3D camera offer on the iPhone 12?
Currently, Apple mobile phones employ the parallax effect of two different cameras to recreate a three-dimensional model of the element captured on camera. This makes it possible for users to enjoy Portrait Mode, a mode in which the background of the photo is automatically blurred to create the bokeh effect.
The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max have a camera system with three lenses on the back: a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens, and an ultra-wide-angle lens, also 12-megapixel. All three lenses provide a wealth of information for photographs, but the 2020 3D camera system would offer more depth data.
Adding depth would create a much more accurate bokeh effect, giving your photos more natural results by better distinguishing the background element.
The depth of the rumored 3D camera that will hit the iPhone 12 lineup would also positively affect augmented reality apps. Apple released its ARKit development kit 3 years ago, but although there are very interesting applications it seems that consumers have not yet received what we expected from this technology.
Another novelty that this technology will bring is a considerable improvement in the camera’s focus. Apparently, it would be possible to change the focus point once the photograph has already been taken. All photography would be in focus, and the software would take care of blurring the layers that the user wants to be outside the focus point.