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iPhone 12 Pro Rear Glass Photo Shows Camera Layout With LiDAR Scanner

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A photo of what appears to be the rear glass of the upcoming iPhone 12 Pro have been shared online by Twitter user "Mr. White."

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The images appear to show two iPhone rear glass parts in Space Gray, with one having an extra cut out below the ultrawide lens hole, likely for a LiDAR scanner. There are also holes for three camera lenses and a TrueTone LED flash, which suggests these are both from "pro" models.

The exact models that each of the rear glass panels is from are unclear since no other edges are visible in the picture. It is possible that one is the 6.7-inch "iPhone 12 Pro Max", and the other is the smaller 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro. This would mean that the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro does not have the LiDAR scanner, leaving it exclusively for the 6.7-inch "iPhone 12 Pro Max," which has been supported by previous rumors.

Alternately, if both iPhone 12 Pro models are to feature LiDAR, then the glass without the additional hole for the scanner may in fact be from the current iPhone 11 Pro.

At least one model of the iPhone 12 Pro has been widely reported to have a LiDAR scanner, first seen on the 2020 iPad Pro, to sense depth and improve AR experiences.

Update: An alleged iPhone 12 Pro Max case recently surfaced on Chinese social media website Weibo (via MyDrivers) with a matching triple-lens camera and LiDAR Scanner layout.

alleged-iphone-12-pro-max-case.jpg


Article Link: iPhone 12 Pro Rear Glass Photo Shows Camera Layout With LiDAR Scanner
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/09/01/iphone-12-pro-rear-glass-photo-shows-lidar-scanner/
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I think the article is correct in the 2nd assumption that the glass on top is an iPhone 11 Pro.
The whole unit of the rear glass seems closer to the edge and the holes for the lenses seem slightly smaller. Those details would at least be consistent between the 12 pro and 12 pro max.
 
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Jesus is that hideous. Why can't we just go back to a single camera? Imagine the camera and the size of a sensor that could fit in that camera bump? The bigger the sensor the better the image. As a professional photographer, I'm never giving up my A7R IV, but if you gave me a smartphone that had a massive single lens camera on the back, I'd be all in.
 
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WRX-SRQ said:
Jesus is that hideous. Why can't we just go back to a single camera? Imagine the camera and the size of a sensor that could fit in that camera bump? The bigger the sensor the better the image. As a professional photographer, I'm never giving up my A7R IV, but if you gave me a smartphone that had a massive single lens camera on the back, I'd be all in.
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People enjoy more the ability to have different focal lengths on their phones rather than one huge sensor. You could take the best shot... and then what? You wouldn't be able to optically zoom in any further or take an utlra wide shot if you need to.

But nonetheless, the main sensors are continuously being upgraded. Huawei, Samsung etc have massive sensors compared to the iPhone and they're constantly trying to fit an even larger one while keeping the form factor about the same.

Software image processing is also very important to phones. Look at what Night Modes do on these tiny sensors.
 
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I wish Apple would stop putting features like LIDAR that maybe only a tiny fraction of the population might care about. They talk about it in their keynotes like its some game changing feature, when 99.9% of the population will never use it. Augmented Reality isn't a thing, and there is no evidence that its going to be a thing. I just don't get their fascination with it and all they do is use it to justify jacking up the price of their phones.
 
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Once you get to this you have to wonder wouldn't it be better to just black out the whole camera hump, similar to the FaceID cameras on the front.

Also it would be nice it you could get a high-end iPhone without all these cameras. I'd personally be happy with a single camera and flash, maybe even a flush one, but still want to keep everything else. Would make for a cheaper, lighter, thinner iPhone for those who photography isn't a priority.
 
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jmgregory1 said:
Looks like the microphone hole is smaller on the version with the lidar scanner. Also interesting to see the rounded edge of the glass. I wonder if that adds some level of protection / strength, compared to having the glass flush on the front and back?
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Apple has always used a slightly curved glass (2.5D). This isn't any different than the current 11 Pros.
 
tomtad said:
Once you get to this you have to wonder wouldn't it be better to just black out the whole camera hump, similar to the FaceID cameras on the front.

Also it would be nice it you could get a high-end iPhone without all these cameras. I'd personally be happy with a single camera and flash, maybe even a flush one, but still want to keep everything else. Would make for a cheaper, lighter, thinner iPhone for those who photography isn't a priority.
Click to expand...

Apple (and other manufacturers) aren't blacking out the camera array on purpose; it's a design decision. It probably helps them keep their phones looking distinct from competitors and differentiate from older models, too.

Photography is a priority for Apple, which is why you won't get a cheaper/lighter phone with a single camera that's flush to the body.
 
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Donnation said:
I wish Apple would stop putting features like LIDAR that maybe only a tiny fraction of the population might care about. They talk about it in their keynotes like its some game changing feature, when 99.9% of the population will never use it. Augmented Reality isn't a thing, and there is no evidence that its going to be a thing. I just don't get their fascination with it and all they do is use it to justify jacking up the price of their phones.
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I admit I haven’t found much of a use for Lidar on my iPad Pro. What kind of apps make use of this feature?
 
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MrKennedy said:
Apple (and other manufacturers) aren't blacking out the camera array on purpose; it's a design decision. It probably helps them keep their phones looking distinct from competitors and differentiate from older models, too.

Photography is a priority for Apple, which is why you won't get a cheaper/lighter phone with a single camera that's flush to the body.
Click to expand...

Either I don't understand the user base, or I'm becoming a luddite in my older years.

The only thing I use the camera on my phone for is snapshots of pets and friends at parties, to scan QR and bar codes at the price club (or restaurant without paper menus) and Facetime.

I also send my wife goofy pictures using the FB filters and animojis. Other than that, it's maybe one step beyond being a Kodak VR-35 for me without the film.
 
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Donnation said:
I wish Apple would stop putting features like LIDAR that maybe only a tiny fraction of the population might care about. They talk about it in their keynotes like its some game changing feature, when 99.9% of the population will never use it. Augmented Reality isn't a thing, and there is no evidence that its going to be a thing. I just don't get their fascination with it and all they do is use it to justify jacking up the price of their phones.
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Here only a couple of use I have in mind for the scanner:
1. 3D body scan that you can do yourself at home, then when you shop online you can filter all the clothes / accessories that fit you. You could see a 3D model of yourself with the clothes on directly on your iphone

2. 3D scan of complex object, let's say you work for a mechanical company and there is an old gear that breaks, you could just scan it and send the data to a manufacturer in order to make a new one. imagine the amount of time you would save

3. You want to renovate your living room, you could just scan it and send it to a designer / architect. This way you save money on the time it would have taken for him to come to your house in order to take all the measurements.

and I am sure there are millions of way to use a LIDAR scanner that we just don't even think about right now. In my field, I asked for quotes for a 3D scanner and it was in the 50k to 200k and is 100 times larger than a phone. If that technology can be in my pocket for 2000$, I would definitely not complain. It might not be as accurate now, let's wait another 5 to 10 years and see what we can do then.
 
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IIGS User said:
Either I don't understand the user base, or I'm becoming a luddite in my older years.

The only thing I use the camera on my phone for is snapshots of pets and friends at parties, to scan QR and bar codes at the price club (or restaurant without paper menus) and Facetime.

I also send my wife goofy pictures using the FB filters and animojis. Other than that, it's maybe one step beyond being a Kodak VR-35 for me without the film.
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You're doing just fine! I'm also using my iPhone simply as a point and shoot. I'm not a "pro" photog by any means. I do, however, appreciate when they make improvements to the camera system so my photos look better.

I don't think Apple can afford to churn out new iPhones with subpar cameras. It's part of the value prop.
 
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I like it a lot, actually! And it looks like they're retaining the frosted glass back, which I am so very looking forward to as a current XS Max user.
 
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