Apple is working on a triple lens camera for its flagship 2019 iPhone, according to a report on Monday.
Taiwan’s Economic Daily News claims the camera array will be headlined by a 12-megapixel rear lens with a 5x zoom, which doubles the existing zoom capacity.
The report (via 9to5Mac) features no information on the other two cameras, but this is the first we’ve heard of an iPhone potentially arriving with three cameras.
If Apple decides to adopt this strategy it would follow in the footsteps of the brand new Huawei P20 Pro, launched late last month.
The Chinese company offers a 40-megapixel primary camera with a 20-megapixel monochrome lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens.
In our recent review we described the P20 Pro as a photographer’s dream and placed the cameras above the Galaxy S9 Plus, which also arrived last month.
Reviewer Josh Levenson wrote: “It’s a lot more reliable in low-light environments, and the images it produces in well-lit conditions are second to none. And the same, once again, can be said for the front-facing camera – which is clear and crisp for the most part.”
Related: Huawei P20 Pro review
The success means we could see more tri-lens camera before September 2019, when Apple is likely to roll out its iPhone handsets next year.
That’s still almost a year and a half away with at least two new iPhone handsets set to arrive this year.
Apple improves its cameras annually, but the move to three cameras in 2019 would be the biggest leap since the iPhone 7 Plus arrived with a dual camera in 2016.
Would a third camera be overkill? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.