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iPhone 8 Will Include 'Revolutionary' Front Camera With 3D Sensing Abilities

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The rumored "iPhone 8" with an edge-to-edge OLED display will gain a "revolutionary" front-facing camera system that consists of three modules that enable fully-featured 3D sensing capabilities, according to new predictions shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The upgraded camera system will be fueled by PrimeSense algorithms, which Apple acquired in 2013.

front-facing-iphone-camera-800x192.jpg

The three modules include an existing front camera module of current iPhones, an infrared transmitting module, and an infrared receiving module. Using these advancements, the camera will be able to find the location and depth of objects placed in front of it, with potential applications including facial and iris recognition.

The camera will function by merging the depth information captured by the IR transmitting and receiving modules with the traditional 2D images captured by the front camera. This not only could be used for the iPhone 8's long-rumored iris recognition feature, but even in some gaming applications -- and future AR/VR experiences -- where users could place their own 3D-scanned face in the game using a quick selfie.

Today's news of an overhaul to the front-facing camera of the iPhone 8 follows speculation surrounding the potential of Apple dropping Touch ID and instead focusing on either 3D facial recognition or iris scanning as the device's main security feature. JPMorgan analyst Rod Hall has stated that facial recognition could be a more secure alternative, and help increase Apple Pay adoption with retailers and financial institutions.

According to Kuo, this three-module front-facing camera system "will bring an innovative user experience" to the OLED iPhone 8, but for now it'll be reserved as exclusive to that model. "Future iPhones may come with a similar system for the rear camera," the analyst noted.

Article Link: iPhone 8 Will Include 'Revolutionary' Front Camera With 3D Sensing Abilities
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/02/21/upcoming-oled-iphone-camera/
JaySoul said:
I think this sounds cool and potentially useful in many ways.
Click to expand...

Lived all my life without this and I MUST have this now because?

3D has not taken off yet with the masses. Too many limitations.

I am sure somebody will (or has already) strap(ped) an iPhone to a contraption making it VR glasses.
 
Of all the things I could possibly have, the one that would make the most difference to me would be better signal strength. Compared to the Samsung S7, the signal strength on my iPhone is very weak. (It was the same on my old iPhone, so it's not just a faulty unit.)
 
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They better change the look of the phone too, or the pitchforks will be out regardless how much revolutionary tech they pack in it.
 
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Not going to bash this because there are probably going to be uses that I haven't thought of with this. The 2 things I do worry about are feature reliability, and cost. Even if I could afford a plus $1000 phone (times 2, since my wife has an iPhone 5) I would not be replacing it every year at that cost. So far I have been going every 3 years.
 
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Sounds really interesting. What exactly is 3D in a camera though? Does it allow you to get a 3D model or image of what you are photographing?

All these rumors about the radical design changes to the iPhone 8 makes me REALLY wish they would skip a 7s. They have already taken heat not changing much with the 6s then then 7. Yet another lackluster release would only hurt them at this point. I am using a 6s and I for one would much rather wait until September for an OLED iPhone 8 than June for a marginally better 7s.
 
Not really a 3D camera - more the standard camera and an infrared light that is bounced back off your face (or whatever else you hold in front of the camera ) so that the software can assign a 'depth' to each bit of the image. This instantly stops anyone using a photo to unlock your phone as it is flat compared to a real face.
 
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This is really cool and exciting technology but it isn't worthy of replacing Touch ID because you have to be in the range of the camera, which isn't convenient for Apple Pay.
 
Touch ID isn't going anywhere yet but iris scan could be added for an extra layer of security. What we could use a 3D front facing camera for isn't really clear except some AR applications like Snapchats lenses and I'm quite sure Apple would have a better idea than that!
 
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I wish they'd spend as much time revamping iOS (and i don't just mean a new theme or more 'social' features).

We seem to be getting into the realm of pointless features, for the sake of features now.
 
Welcome to Intel RealSense 3D apl copy...in other news Hololens is skipping v2 going straight to v3.... explanation: lack of competition

Here's why:


Already a game changer in Industry
 
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