The iPhone 14 series is several months away from launch, but rumors about its design are coming in thick and fast. Previous rumors suggested the rear cameras could sport 48MP sensors, but now a reputed analyst believes the front-facing FaceTime cameras could be improved as well.
Tianfeng International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo put out a couple of tweets saying the front-facing cameras of all the four iPhone 14 models could sport autofocus (AF). This would be a massive upgrade to the iPhone 13 series’ fixed-focus FaceTime camera. The advantage of an AF setup over a fixed-focus lens would be the ability to dynamically track subjects in the frame and focus on them.
Additionally, the analyst believes Apple will open the aperture even wider on the iPhone 14 models. This means an f/1.9 aperture would replace the f/2.2 aperture of the iPhone 13 selfie shooter.
For you as a user, a wider aperture means the sensor captures more light. So, an improvement in low-light performance can be expected. Another benefit of a wider aperture is the shallower depth of field that lends crisp background blur to selfies and Portrait mode shots.
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AF support and a lower f-number can provide a better shallow depth-of-field effect for selfie/portrait mode. In addition, AF can also enhance the focus effect for FaceTime/video call/live streaming.— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) April 19, 2022
Kuo believes AF paired with the wide aperture could improve the focus effect during FaceTime sessions, video calls, and live streaming. Notably, Apple focused on FaceTime features during WWDC last year, so an improvement in the upcoming iPhone’s camera hardware could be justified.
Additionally, several previous rumors independently corroborate that the iPhone 14 Pro models will likely do away with the notch and use a pill-shaped cutout alongside a hole-punch cutout in the display. The former would be used to house hardware required for Face ID, while the latter would be for the improved front-facing camera.
Are you looking forward to the camera improvements on the iPhone 14 series? Would an enhanced FaceTime camera be useful for you? Tell us in the comments.
