As the iPhone 8 rumor mill continues to swing in full speed, the latest report suggests Apple might be gearing up to introduce a ‘revolutionary’ front camera that has the capacity to register 3D space and enable facial recognition.
The new components will allow combining depth information with 2D images from the front camera for applications such as face and iris recognition as well as 3D selfies, according to a note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo obtained by 9to5Mac.
Kuo speculates the bleeding-edge camera tech will be especially useful for rendering a user’s face inside innovative games and apps. The 3D-enabled front-facing setup will also make it possible to use the iPhone to generate 3D selfies in augmented reality.
While the iPhone 7 Plus already supports depth detection to a limited degree thanks to its dual-cam setup, the new sensor will be fully capable of identifying objects in depth. The software for the upgraded hardware will be purportedly developed by 3D sensor company PrimeSense, which Apple bought back in 2013.
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The report aligns fairly well with previous speculation the Big A is gunning to make augmented reality a stand-out feature in the next-gen iPhone.
Kuo further remarks Apple has a huge lead over Android manufacturers when it comes to 3D sensing technologies, predicting the company will eventually remove the dual-cam back setup in favor of more compact 3D-enabled camera. But we’ll probably have to wait for this beyond 2017.
Among other things, the iPhone 8 is slated to feature wireless charging, a slick OLED screen and an all-glass design with a stainless steel frame – as well as a hefty price tag of over $1,000.
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