AppleInsider Staff
With over half a year remaining before Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation iPhone, a fresh rumor out of Taiwan suggests that the company may be considering a new dual-lens camera system and the addition of "Force Touch," the pressure-sensitive touch technology set to be introduced in the Apple Watch.
Moving to a dual-lens design would allow Apple to offer optical zoom capabilities in the iPhone for the first time, according to UDN, citing ever-reliable sources in the Asian supply chain. The supposedly redesigned camera module would also improve low-light performance by allowing more light to reach the sensor.
Apple has made significant investments in imaging technology and counts the iPhone's camera among its most marketable assets, making it a likely area of interest for future upgrades. The Sony-supplied sensor in the iPhone 6 Plus — featuring phase-detection autofocus and optical image stabilization — Â is widely lauded as the best smartphone camera ever made, rivaling many point-and-shoot models.
Additionally, Taipei-based touch module supplier TPK is thought to be in the running to supply three-dimensional touch sensors for the forthcoming handset, bringing Force Touch to the iPhone. UDN believes that those components would be included to facilitate more accurate sensing of a user's blood pressure and pulse, though that seems unlikely.
On the Apple Watch, Force Touch allows the device to provide contextually-specific feedback in the user interface — Â for instance, a heavy press could bring up an options menu, while a light tap would select an option. Bringing that functionality to the iPhone seems to be a far more plausible idea.
Christine McKee
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
78 Comments
how long bf i start to feel like my 5S is outdated? talk of the 6S makes it feel old.
8-9 more months of rumors and speculations like this...
I'll be willing to bet it won't ship with force-touch. It makes no sense. You need it on such a tiny device as Apple Watch and it may be handy on an iPad, especially iPad Air for stylus pressure sensitivity or something like that, but it makes no sense for iPhone really.
8-9 more months of rumors and speculations like this...
You can ignore them.
Maybe force touch will ship on the new Macbook Air. There are rumors that it's trackpad doesn't click, and without force touch you would have to lift you finger off to tap, instead of just leaving it on the pad and pressing slightly harder.