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Kuo: No Significant Upgrades to Main iPhone Camera Lens Through at Least 2022 [Updated]

bsamcash said:
I just want the display fixed. I’m not yet sold on OLED. Still on the iPhone 11.
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That OLED screen on my 12 is by far THE feature I love the most. I'm curious to know what you don't like about it.

Dark Mode is amazing and lets me sleep better when I use my phone before going to sleep.
 
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I thought the camera lens was gonna be the biggest update on the 13? I’m still waiting for something that can compete with Samsung and has optical zoom. They’re gonna be left in the dust if they don’t improve the camera soon
 
Rychiar said:
I thought the camera lens was gonna be the biggest update on the 13? I’m still waiting for something that can compete with Samsung and has optical zoom. They’re gonna be left in the dust if they don’t improve the camera soon
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this report it appears to be talking about the main lens

telephoto is still expected to get a pericope lens in 2022

we will be getting big upgrade for ultra wide in 2021
 
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In our previous report, we put forward the non-consensus forecast that Sunny Optical will ship iPhone 7P lenses in 2021 […] We predict […] no significant upgrade of the iPhone lens in 2022.
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Some are taking this to mean no improvements to any of the lenses in the 2021 and 2022 iPhones, but I believe this is a misreading. Kuo has a track record of referencing his earlier predictions when new information comes to light, so the fact that he doesn’t walk back either of the previous ones leads me to conclude that today’s note references only the primary lens.

Via 9to5mac

iPhone lens improvements limited to ultrawide and telephoto - 9to5Mac

Ming-Chi Kuo previously predicted significant improvements to two of the three iPhone lenses in 2021 and 2022 respectively. A new report today
9to5mac.com 9to5mac.com
 
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Isn’t camera technology mature enough to the point where consumers don’t even understand The most basic concepts of a smart phone camera? Apple continuously focuses on camera improvements every year, because it’s their single most heavily marketed feature. But I think it gets to a point where consumers generally don’t care about LiDAR and other features that don’t have any meaning to them.

As much as the iPhone is popular because of the camera, there’s a stopping point where Apple has to use other considerable features to persuade consumers to upgrade.
 
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ian87w said:
Imo there's a limit on what they can do on the lenses that small. I mean there's a thing called physics. So imo moving forward, more improvements will be more towards the ISP.
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Here here. Agree with what you said about physics. Same with how they’ve treated the battery. No matter what optimization they put to make it last, it won’t last long enough because of how small batteries they put in. What’s the use of all the ‘power’ when it will fail in the endurance category.
 
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To each their own but I really don't care much about the camera. Camera quality does impress the narcissist's though I suppose. I'm just not the self(ish)ie type. I'd rather see a foldable option, 120hz display, better battery life, etc.
 
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Freeangel1 said:
GREAT! this iPhone 12 Max was expensive. Tired of upgrades. Not much different from my iPhone 8 Plus. better camera. I'm happy where I'm at. 5G No Big deal.
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Lol. Maybe you should stick with your VCR at home also. I love hearing people justifying what they can’t afford with excuses like this, when they really want the product.
 
H3LL5P4WN said:
Sorry dude. My 12 Pro Max destroys my 11 Pro... which crushed my XS... which crushed my X, which was better than the 8 at launch. So I know that it craps all over the 8.
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And hopefully the 13Pro will do the same to the 12Pro...because i'm skipping the 12 and using my 11Pro till the 13 Pro
 
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SubduedTiger said:
It’s only been 10 minutes since you posted, and it’s already an underrated comment.

Though I swore by the X, it made no financial sense for me to keep it when Visible.com let me upgrade to the 12 Pro Max with a $200 virtual gift card, free Beats Solo, and like $50 off the phone. With the value of my X (sold for $310) and by selling the Beats Solo Pro ($150), the phone cost me $500 in effect. And I can easily resell it for that come iPhone 13 time. In my mind, it was free.

Point behind this being that I wasn’t compelled by anything but money to upgrade, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max is a huge change from the X in feel. Ain’t just a camera at all. Battery, power, weight, and feel are more refined. Going back to the X felt like going back to the 4 when you had a 5. Way different.

I don’t actually even like the new front-facing camera (looks all fake and Snapchat puppydog-y, makes me look like a 3-year-old Harajuku girl with the brightness turned up 90%).
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But you say that like a 3-year-old Harajuku girl is a bad thing...well at least add 20 more years to that 😂
 
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Theyayarealivin said:
I think the cameras set up look GREAT.

Apple: Let’s focus on 24 hour battery life and superior screen quality please.
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It will eventually come...without it being a backpack :) Battery tech is moving along...especially due to more and more plug in cars...all across the world.
 
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incoherent_1 said:
Came here to say this. Sensors, etc. could all still see upgrades. I think a lot of posters are misunderstanding
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That could be true, but the thing that's never been clarified is this...are the sensors and lenses integral to each other as a single device or are they independent and each can be changed separately....I just like I do at work in a television facility.
 
Rychiar said:
I thought the camera lens was gonna be the biggest update on the 13? I’m still waiting for something that can compete with Samsung and has optical zoom. They’re gonna be left in the dust if they don’t improve the camera soon
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Yeah...the Huawei Mate 30 Pro has 10x optical zoom....from Leica....for anybody not familiar with the name, they are one of the finest lens/camera makers from Germany.
 
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If the camera system doesn't get any improvement at all, then I can hold off on upgrading next year. Which honestly I wouldn't mind. That said, curious to see if they work on the ISP and other camera pieces to get further improvements. That I would be ok with and would then consider the upgrade. Also, as much as I like the Max, I'd love to see the same camera set-up in a 13 Pro Mini.
 
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As the camera is one of the biggest selling points of iPhones these days, I find this report highly unlikely.
 
subi257 said:
And hopefully the 13Pro will do the same to the 12Pro...because i'm skipping the 12 and using my 11Pro till the 13 Pro
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As it likely should. The only time I can recall the iPhone camera getting worse year over year was from the 6 to 6S, due to the smaller pixel size.
 
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If they could just figure out exactly what Google does with the Pixel and put that in the iPhone that would be perfect.

iPhone 11 Pro takes better video and maybe better outdoor scenery pictures... Like 99.9% of people, I was trying to take good pictures of my kids opening their Christmas presents in moderately low light. Blurry. Wife's Pixel looks like a DSLR by comparison.
 
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