Mark Gurman on the iPhone 7: ‘Brighter Photos’

Mark Gurman:

The dual cameras on the larger new iPhone will produce brighter photos with more detail, according to a person who has used a prototype version of the upcoming device. Both sensors, which each capture color differently, simultaneously take a picture, and the device produces a single, merged photograph, said the person.

I keep on wondering what Mark means by ‘brighter photos’. A photo by definition is either exposed currently or not, hence it cannot be brighter or else the highlights will be blown. I assume he meant something else, perhaps that the lens itself will have a larger aperture and let in more light, or perhaps the sensor will have a higher dynamic range, which will make it possible to bring out more details in the highlights and shadows.

The dual system sharpens photos taken in low-light environments, the person said. The combination of the merged photos from the two camera sensors also allows users to zoom while retaining more clarity, the person added. The smaller version of the new phones will not include dual lenses, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year.

Whatever technology Apple is adding to this years model, I’m most curious about the camera itself. So far, having dual lenses hasn’t markedly improved image quality — the Huawei P9 has already demonstrated this. It will be really interesting to see what they come up with.