A report from Saturday indicates that while Apple’s next-generation iPhones may adopt features from other Apple products, such as the Apple Watch’s dynamic Force Touch input system, it won’t include a much-rumored dual-lens camera.
… Apple’s current plans call for both the new 4.7-inch model (N71) and the 5.5-inch “iPhone 6s Plus” (N66) to gain Force Touch, a capability Apple debuted with the Apple Watch when it was announced in September. Their arrival on the iPhone product line would come roughly one year later, falling in line with the company’s historical pattern of first debuting new cutting edge technology on one iOS device (iPhone) before extending it to another (iPad) the following year.
Apple says Force Touch its most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch. From the Apple Watch website:
“In addition to recognizing touch, Apple Watch senses force, adding a new dimension to the user interface. Force Touch uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, and trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls — such as an action menu in Messages, or a mode that allows you to select different watch faces — whenever you want. It’s the most significant new sensing capability since Multi‑Touch.”
Apple is said to have experimented with including Force Touch on the iPhone 6 last year, but issues with calibration resulted in the feature being pulled from the device during its development cycle.
AppleInsider also reports that “those familiar with the ongoing development of” the N71 and N66 models say the much-rumored two-camera system for the next-generation of iPhones won’t make the cut. Including such a feature would require a complete redesign of the handset’s chassis, which would be unusual in an “S” model year, which traditionally include significant feature updates while maintaining the previous model’s outer design.
A November rumor stated Apple’s next-generation iPhone would include a two-lens system. to enable capturing DSLR-quality images with the device.
