iPhones cameras always come with a slew of upgrades, but the iPhone 13 could take it a whole new level if the latest report is accurate.
According to DigiTimes, Apple has been putting increased pressure on its suppliers for key camera lens components. So much pressure that the orders are expected to outstrip the entire Android market.
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Apple has reportedly put Taiwanese companies responsible for the production of voice coil motors (VCMs) on notice to increase their capacity. Apparently Apple is in such demand for the components that it needs an increase of 30-40%.
Sources apparently told DigiTimes that there are going to be significant upgrades in the iPhone 13’s various imaging tech, which warrants the increased number of VCMs. That includes the camera modules and Face ID’s 3D sensors. At the same time, there’s reportedly reduced demand from Android manufacturers, particularly with the U.S. sanctions still being imposed on Huawei devices.
VCMs, for those that don’t know, are key components to help camera lenses focus. So the more camera lenses and sensors you have that need to focus, the more VCMs will be required to actually make them work.
What camera upgrades will the iPhone 13 get?
We are expecting a lot of camera upgrades on the iPhone 13 range, especially the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. According to previous reports, this includes a new 6-element ultrawide angle lens on both Pro models, larger sensors and apertures, sensor-shift stabilization, and a new “folded lens” camera that utilizes a periscope camera design to improve the iPhone 13’s optical zoom capabilities.
Rumors also suggest that Face ID and the front camera will have a smaller footprint, which would in turn mean a smaller notch. The rear camera array is also rumored to be larger, with early renders and leaks suggesting that the rear lenses will be larger than those on the iPhone 12 range.
To top it all off, rumors suggest that Apple may follow Google’s example and throw in some iPhone 13 astrophotography upgrades to boost the quality of photos of the night sky. Not to mention the possibility of having LiDAR sensors on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, which has been strongly rumored.
Combine all those upgrades and Apple will need a significant number of camera components, VCMs included.
Such a large increase in demand also suggests Apple is gearing up to produce a lot of iPhone 13s this year. The only question is whether the iPhone 13 lineup will be able to beat the records already set last year by the iPhone 12 range.
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