Apple may swap the glass cover on the Face ID lens of the current iPhone 12 family for a plastic one in the upcoming iPhone 13, according to a new report.
Switching From Glass to Plastic Cover
That’s per Ming-Chi Kuo, the most accurate Apple analyst on the planet. In a new research note to clients, obtained by AppleInsider, he analyzes the latest supply chain whispers regarding camera changes that are potentially coming to this year’s iPhone 13 models.
Kuo explains that Apple took advantage of a glass transmitter lens for the Face ID module because glass is capable of withstanding heat from the lasers without deformation. Switching from glass to plastic for Face ID lenses should also reduce cost (because plastic is cheaper than glass), helping Apple reduce the iPhone’s bill of materials even further.
What Else Is Kuo Saying?
The revered analyst has also made some interesting predictions regarding the iPhone 14 models expected in 2022. The front-facing camera on those models should be smaller, he says, potentially helping Apple design a hole-punch display like on some Samsung phones. As for the rear lens, it should adopt a so-called “unibody” design that would combine the lens array with the voice coil motor into a single part, saving internal space.
Similar to the iPhone 12 Pro Max, some of the high-end models in the 2022 lineup should offer additional photography perks. As an example, Kuo says the iPhone telephoto camera will be upgraded from a six-element lens to a seven-element one for the iPhone 14 in 2022.
This should help reduce the chromatic aberration, an image distortion that occurs due to a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same point. Chromatic aberrations usually show up as fringes of color along the boundaries separating dark from light areas of the image.
Coming in 2023: Telephoto Lens
As for 2023, the analyst expects the introduction of a periscope telephoto lens design, also known as folding lenses. Similar to Huawei’s P30 Pro, this technology would boost optical zoom capabilities by a large margin, way beyond the current 2.5x optical zoom on the iPhone 12. Kuo previously called for a periscope lens in 2022’s models.
No disruptions are expected in terms of this year’s iPhone release schedule, with all of the models expected to become available in the usual September timeframe. The rumor-mill is expecting the same four sizes as the iPhone 12 family.