Apple Puts Its User-Friendly Stamp on Fancy iPhone 7 Camera
Apple raised the ante for cameras in flagship phones with the announcement of its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus on Wednesday.
Others already have taken the dual-camera approach to smartphone photography -- notably HTC, LG and Huawei.
"While it's not the first dual camera mounted in a smartphone, it's on par with the others in terms of basic functionality," said Brian Blau, a research director for Gartner.
Going one step further, Apple has added its own powerful twist to the concept.
"Apple has updated the camera app to make using the dual camera easy -- and that could be their best feature, as focusing on the user experience is always one of Apple's strengths," Blau told TechNewsWorld.
The iPhone 7 Plus has two cameras that sit side-by-side on the back. There's the 12 megapixel camera with a 28mm lens found in the base version of the phone, as well as a camera with a 56mm lens. The setup allows a "phonetographer" to capture better zoom shots at greater distances from a subject.
Proof in the Bokeh
The dual camera system, which has a 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom, also can produce depth-of-field effects. With the tap of an icon, the camera will focus on a subject in the foreground and blur the background, or bokeh, for a nice portrait effect.
However, the software for the portrait effect is not yet available -- it's expected later in the year as a free upgrade.
"We will have to see how the simulated bokeh looks in the real world," observed Stan Horaczek, online editor for Popular Photography and American Photo, "but having the ability to capture images with a true 56mm equivalent lens without having to digitally zoom is a pretty big deal."
Apple appears to be targeting some very specific aspects of the camera market in which dedicated cameras still have a distinct advantage, he added.
"The iPhone 7 Plus has an 'optical zoom' -- if you apply the term loosely -- which is something smartphone cameras typically can't do," Horaczek told TechNewsWorld.
iPhone 7 camera
The 7 also has a six-element f/1.8 lens for better performance in low light conditions. The new wider aperture allows more light to hit the camera's sensor and produce brighter shots with more detail.
"The move up to an f/1.8 lens from an f/2.2 is a solid move, but they're certainly not the first to do it," Horaczek said. "It also may not make as much of an impact as some people think."
In addition, the camera's flash is 50 percent brighter than the previous iPhone model. The four LEDs in the "smart" flash can adjust their output to the color temperature in a shot's frame for better pictures.
The front-facing camera has been upgraded, too. The resolution has been boosted to 7 MP, and it has wide color capture for sharper and more vibrant selfies.
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