Reports claim that a handful of companies that manufacture camera lenses have sent samples of their products to Apple for testing purposes. This is in consideration for a potential inclusion of their products in the next generation iPhone.
The news was first reported by DigiTimes claiming that the Taiwan-based Largan Technology as well as two other companies based in China and Japan have all sent their camera lens samples to Apple. The report added that Largan currently supplies at least 60 percent of Apple smartphone cameras.
The news also opened up rumors regarding the possibility of a dual lens camera for the upcoming iPhone smartphones. A handful of smartphone manufacturers have already adopted dual-lens cameras for their devices. The list includes China-based companies like Qiku, Lenovo and ZTE.
According to Mac Rumors, DigiTimes has a mixed reputation when it comes to predicting upcoming Apple product plans. On the other hand, the report claims that DigiTimes' sources within the upstream supply chain have a reliable reputation.
The report was closely followed by a prediction from KGI Securities analysts Ming-Chi Kuo who claims that two versions of the iPhone 7 Plus are in development. The prediction added that one model sports a single iSight rear-facing camera while the other one has a dual-camera design.
Speculations about the rumored iPhone 7 Plus model claim that the smartphone will have a 5.5-inch version. Several tech analysts said that should Apple decide to throw in a dual-lens camera in the iPhone 7, the feature will greatly benefit from the imaging algorithms developed by Israeli camera technology company LinX Imaging, a company which Apple acquired in 2015.
To add to the dual-lens hype for the upcoming iPhone, Sony CFO Kenichiro Yoshida alluded to a possible integration of the technology in Apple's flagship device. In a statement acquired by 9to5Mac, Yoshida said that, "high-end smartphone market is now slowing down. So, that may impact the demand or production schedule of dual-camera smartphones."
It is important to note that Sony provides camera sensors for iPhone devices.
A handful of rumors are also claiming that the iPhone 7 will have a Super AMOLED screen and the back is made of ceramic.