KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s upcoming “iPhone 8” will boast a “revolutionary” front-facing camera system made up of three modules powered by PrimeSense technology, which Apple acquired in 2013. The system will enable fully-featured 3D sensing capabilities.
The three modules include an existing front camera module of current iPhones, an infrared transmitting module, and an infrared receiving module. Using these advancements, the camera will be able to find the location and depth of objects placed in front of it, with potential applications including facial and iris recognition.
The camera will merge the depth information captured by the IR transmitting and receiving modules with the traditional 2D images captured via the front camera. This would allow the system to be used for a much-rumored iris recognition feature, as well as offer possibilities for gaming and Alternate Reality and Virtual Reality apps.
Kuo believes the three-module front-facing camera system “will bring an innovative user experience” to the OLED iPhone 8, but for now, it’ll be reserved as an iPhone 8 exclusive. “Future iPhones may come with a similar system for the rear camera,” the analyst noted.
Kuo has previously claimed the new flagship iPhone will drop the physical Home button from its upcoming “iPhone 8” handset, instead opting for a new “function area” at the bottom of its 5.9-inch OLED display. The actual display area will be around 5.15”, and the rest will be an area for functions (e.g. allocation of virtual buttons).
