Fans of ultra-wide-angle photography may have some good news about a new feature on the iPhone 13. Apparently, that is if it is a Pro model.
According to respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via 9to5Mac), the iPhone 13 Pro's ultra-wide sensor will include a long overdue feature: autofocus. iPhone 12 has a main camera on the back and iPhone 12 Pro's telephoto camera have autofocus, but the ultrawide does not. Instead, it uses fixed focus, which is the least versatile of the three cameras.
Incidentally, Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra has autofocus on its ultrawide, the first Samsung flagship to do so. If Apple wants the iPhone 13 to inherit the iPhone 12's status as the best camera phone on the market, adding autofocus to its own ultrawide sensor is essential for it to catch up with its rivals.
We have also heard that the ultra-wide lens will be further upgraded; Kuo has stated in previous predictions that Apple will replace the current 5-element lens with a 6-element lens. This would match the current main camera and help reduce distortion and other unwanted image effects.
The only caveat to Kuo's prediction is that he says the new ultra-wide lenses will only be available on the Pro model. It may be next year before all available iPhones will have these upgrades, he adds. In other words, if you don't want to buy the iPhone 13 Pro, you might as well wait for the basic iPhone 14, which will be available in 2022.
According to the latest rumors, the iPhone 13 will feature improvements beyond the camera. The front camera notch will be smaller, the A15 Bionic chip will be faster, and 5G may be improved. The two iPhone 13 Pro models may also feature the first 120Hz refresh rate display in the iPhone series.
The iPhone 13 (which could also be called the iPhone 12S) is expected to arrive in September, similar to previous iPhone announcements. It will also bring the stable launch of iOS 15. iOS is Apple's latest operating system with changes such as revamped notifications, enhancements for FaceTime, etc.
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