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A new report suggests that the next flagship smartphones from Apple and Samsung could be equipped with three rear-facing cameras.

iphone-x-triple-lens-martin-hajek-idropnews-800x652.jpg
A triple-lens iPhone X mockup by Martin Hajek via iDrop News

The Korea Herald claims that the so-called iPhone X Plus, the widely rumored 6.5-inch version of the iPhone X expected to be announced this September, and Samsung's next-generation Galaxy S10, likely to be released in early 2019, will both sport a trio of lenses on the backside.

The prediction about the Galaxy S10 comes from Kim Dong-won, an analyst with investment firm KB Securities, based in South Korea:
Samsung, which has a lower-than-expected demand for its latest Galaxy S9 lineup, will consider to equip its next premium phone with the triple cameras and a 3-D sensor to reinvigorate its smartphone business.
The prediction about the iPhone X Plus is only briefly mentioned in what is otherwise a Samsung-focused report:
One of Apple's next premium smartphones, reportedly named as the iPhone X Plus, is also anticipated to come fitted with three camera lenses on the rear.
While this the fourth time we've heard about an upcoming iPhone with three rear cameras, all of the earlier reports have suggested it will be a 2019 move at the earliest, so the chances this is a 2018 move seem unlikely.

Earlier this year, for example, former KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed the 6.5-inch iPhone will have a dual-lens rear camera.

huawei-p20-pro.jpg
Huawei P20 Pro

The Korea Herald could be right about the what, but wrong about the when. Triple-lens smartphones are only just reaching the market, starting with the Huawei P20 Pro in March, and Apple often waits to perfect a technology rather than rushing to include a feature to compete with the best possible tech specs.

In the end, 2019 could end up being the year of triple-lens smartphones, starting with the Galaxy S10 in the spring and the iPhone in the fall.

The third lens would likely enable 3x optical zoom on an iPhone for the first time, enabling users to magnify the image in the viewfinder by up to three times without a blurry reduction in quality like digital zoom. iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X models feature 2x optical zoom for comparison.

The three-lens system could also enable advanced 3D sensing for augmented reality, an area in which Apple CEO Tim Cook has expressed interest.

Article Link: iPhone X Plus Said to Feature Triple-Lens Rear Camera in 2018, Despite Most Rumors Pointing to 2019
 

and 1989 others

macrumors 6502
Sep 21, 2016
474
2,226
And at what point do you decide to just buy a basic smart phone and spend the remainder of the money on a professional DSLR camera. We're under no illusion that the new xPlus will cost about £1.2k
 
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macmanmass

macrumors member
Jun 16, 2009
78
165
We’re going back to the Plus-size getting exclusive features, shocker...

Remember this is Timmy we're talking about here. Its all about the profits and not about pushing the limits to make new features available to all. While its understandable that the size of a product can define its limitations, they still should try harder to bring the headlining new features to all new devices.
 

EdT

macrumors 68020
Mar 11, 2007
2,428
1,979
Omaha, NE
My concern is if this does mean 3D pictures the file size for a photos, and therefore the amount of data actually used on an iPhone, is probably going to explode. I’m also worried about Apple continuing to allow local backups instead of iCloud backups. I don’t know what the effect of Apple getting out of the router business is going to have on Time Machine software support and availability and the automatic backups you can do with it. Apple’s iCloud is not a cost effective backup option compared to most of its competitors, and anyone’s cloud backup isn’t practical to someone with slow internet speeds.
 

DNichter

macrumors G3
Apr 27, 2015
9,385
11,183
Philadelphia, PA
Sounds like an X Plus exclusive. I really wish they would keep feature parity across both as more people want smaller phones, but I understand the decision here. This isn't something that would entice me to go larger so I am good so far.
 

macmanmass

macrumors member
Jun 16, 2009
78
165
And at what point do you decide to just buy a basic smart phone and spend the remainder of the money on a professional DSLR camera. We're under no illusion that the new xPlus will cost about £1.2k
For photo/video guys like myself, we're going to buy a DSLR no matter what. For the everyday consumer their phones ARE their cameras. So to them its all about convenience. And to be frank I take pictures more often with my phone than any one of my DSLRS. Why? Because the best camera isn't necessary the one with all the bells and whistles, the best camera is the one that you have with you. Think about that one.
 

itsmilo

Suspended
Sep 15, 2016
3,985
8,728
Berlin, Germany
And at what point do you decide to just buy a basic smart phone and spend the remainder of the money on a professional DSLR camera. We're under no illusion that the new xPlus will cost about £1.2k

Honestly. I own a DSLR camera but I barely ever use it and haven’t taken it to my last 3 long distance vacations because it is just too big and heavy. On my iPhone everything is clean and sorted. Meanwhile the photos on my DSLR memory card are still a mess from over 2 years ago
 

recoil80

macrumors 68040
Jul 16, 2014
3,117
2,755
We’re going back to the Plus-size getting exclusive features, shocker...

Hope it isn't true.
I have an 8+ but I'm considering going back to a smaller phone so second version of X would be perfect.
Although I'm not a big fan of portrait effects I like the second camera and often use it just to get 2X with a good quality, and having the second camera was one of the main reason why I went for the 8+ instead of the 8.
iPhone is really expensive, it is a shame you have to renounce to a feature just because you don't like a screen size. Next time I want to be able to pick the screen size I really like and have all the features
 
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