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Apple Turns to LG as Sony Falls Behind on Dual-Lens Camera Production for iPhone 7 Plus

(http://cdn.macrumors.com/article-new/2015/02/iphone_7_plus_rear-250x392.jpg)Chris Chang of Nomura Securities has issued a note to investors (http://blogs.barrons.com/asiastocks/2016/05/19/lg-innotek-sony-is-behind-apples-iphone7-schedule-nomura-raises-to-buy/) claiming that Sony may be running behind schedule in terms of supplying Apple with dual-lens camera modules for the next-generation 5.5-inch iPhone, which rumors suggest may be called the iPhone 7 (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-7/) Plus or iPhone Pro (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/29/iphone-7-plus-dual-cameras-iphone-pro/).

We think Sony may not be able to deliver its full share of dual cameras to Apple due to: (1) lower-than-expected yield, and (2) damage to its production facility from the April earthquake in Kumamoto.

Chang believes that Apple will instead turn to LG as its primary supplier of dual-lens camera modules for the larger-sized iPhone expected to launch in September.





Both investment bank Nomura Securities and research firm Citi Research believe all 5.5-inch iPhones will be equipped with dual-lens camera modules, rather than just one model, echoing comments (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/11/iphone-7-plus-single-model-3gb-ram/) made by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ming-chi-kuo/) earlier this month.





Kuo previously said that Apple had two 5.5-inch versions of the iPhone 7 Plus in development, including one with a single iSight rear-facing camera and another boasting a dual-lens camera module, but he has since recanted. Meanwhile, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 is widely expected to retain a single-lens camera (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/04/dual-cameras-exclusive-to-iphone-7-plus-kgi/).





Nomura Securities also believes that Apple will include optical image stabilization (OIS) on both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone, whereas the feature has been exclusive to the larger iPhone 6 (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-6/) Plus and iPhone 6s (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-6s/) Plus over the past two generations.





Leaked images (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/15/iphone-7-plus-photo-dual-lens-smart-connector/), components (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/14/iphone-7-plus-dual-camera-module/), and renders (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/15/iphone-7-plus-photo-dual-lens-smart-connector/) potentially offer a first look at Apple's dual-lens camera system, but rumors have been conflicting about the exact design.





The switch to dual-lens camera modules has been linked to Apple's acquisition of LinX Technology (http://www.macrumors.com/2015/04/14/apple-acquires-linx-imaging/), which could lead to "DSLR-quality" photos on iPhones. LinX's multi-aperture cameras are also smaller sized than single-aperture cameras, meaning the iPhone 7 Plus could have a slightly less protruding camera lens (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/01/iphone-7-flush-camera-stereo-speakers/).





LinX camera modules offer a number of other benefits (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/01/27/iphone-7-plus-dual-camera-linx-kgi/), including 3D depth mapping, better color accuracy and uniformity, ultra HDR, low noise levels, higher resolution, low costs, zero shutter lag, and a compact design that allows for edge-to-edge displays. A recent video demo (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/02/22/video-demo-dual-camera-tech/) provides a good overview of dual-camera technology.





Apple recently patented a dual-camera system (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/07/apple-dual-camera-iphone-interface/) consisting of one standard wide-angle lens, similar to what is found in the latest iPhones, and a second telephoto lens capable of capturing zoomed-in video and photos. In a recent video, we visualized what the interface could look like on future iOS devices.





<center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZdP7h_O2rzo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>


Dual-camera smartphones like the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/06/huawei-dual-camera-smartphone/) are expected to inspire "killer apps" (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/01/dual-camera-smartphones-killer-apps/) from smartphone manufacturers and third-party developers.

<div class="linkback">Related Roundup: iPhone 7 (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/iphone-7/)
Tags: Sony (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/sony/), LG (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/lg/), Nomura Securities (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/nomura-securities/), Chris Chang (http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/chris-chang/) </div>
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Source: Apple Turns to LG as Sony Falls Behind on Dual-Lens Camera Production for iPhone 7 Plus (http://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/20/apple-sony-lg-dual-cameras-iphone-7-plus/)