According to a new report, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could get a camera upgrade when they arrive in late 2023.
While the iPhone 15 Pro Max is already expected to get an iPhone first in the form of a periscope camera, a new report also comes to fuel existing rumors that an improved LiDAR scanner is also on the way. If so, Apple could benefit from better power management. However, this change should not occur on the standard iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus.
Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O’Malley, in a research note seen by MacRumorsbelieve that Apple is preparing to use Sony as the main, if not sole, supplier of LiDAR scanner components for the high-end iPhones of 2023.
“Sony could capture the majority, if not all, of the global sensor share of this year’s models, supplying a module, VCSEL, receiver and driver,” the analysts say, adding, “It’s a headwind for LITE and COHR, which we consider likely.”
This backs up a previous claim by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who also singled out Sony as a potential winner of Apple’s upgrade plans. Kuo had also said that Sony components are more power efficient than those provided by other companies, which can help improve performance or extend battery life, depending on how Apple chooses to play.
The LiDAR scanner is used in a variety of ways, including augmented reality and photography applications. It’s a sensor that scans the 3D world around it and provides that information to the iPhone for use in apps. It can be useful for building the augmented reality world, while camera apps can collect depth data to create better portrait effects.
Apple is expected to ship the new iPhone 15 lineup around September, with other changes including a USB-C port on all four models.