Bloomberg Quint just revealed that Apple will be working with Sony to incorporate long distance 3D cameras into the next generation of iPhones. This technology will revolutionize camera photography and might be the next big thing in smartphones.
Bloomberg got the confirmation from the Japanese tech giant itself. Satoshi Yoshihara, head of Sony’s sensor division told Bloomberg:
“Cameras revolutionized phones, and based on what I’ve seen, I have the same expectation for 3D [cameras].”
The news revealed that Apple has shown great interest in the technology and wants to utilize it commercially as part of the next lineup of iPhones.
Yoshihara subsequently confirmed that front and rear-facing 3D cameras will be ready in 2019 and that Sony would be “kicking off mass production in late summer to the meet demand.” This is excellent news for Apple fans as their new phones will launch in September next year.
Sony has incorporated futuristic technology into their 3D camera, which uses “Time of Flight” technology. The camera shoots invisible lasers and measures the time it takes for the rays to bounce back in order to build a 3D model of objects within a five-meter distance. The 3D camera can focus on every object in a picture almost instantly, which makes the overall picture quite vivid.
We are all wondering what 3D cameras can best be used for. It turns out they have many applications: The 3D cameras can be used for night photography, for example, because the lasers can track objects at night. They also offer a better mechanism for facial recognition, since the camera can map a user’s face in more detail; this could eliminate the complex multi-sensor array currently used by Apple’s Face ID.
The new technology might even help kill the dreaded notch, the controversial cutout at the top of some iPhone screens.
Sony told Bloomberg Quint that the 3D cameras can be used for interactive applications, Virtual and Augmented Reality apps, and in gaming. They even demonstrated the ability of users to manipulate a gaming environment with their hands by making gestures to cast spells and play tennis, for example.
Apple already has a short-range 3D camera incorporated into its TrueDepth Camera. But by utilizing Sony’s technology, Apple will drastically change how consumers use their smartphone cameras. It will be a step in the right direction and will help combat the stagnation that smartphone cameras have experienced over the last few years.
Yoshihara agrees about how little smartphone cameras have evolved, saying “The most important thing in the coming year will be to get people excited.”
Apple might be on the path to getting people more excited about new camera technology.
Source: Bloomberg Quint
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