Sony’s Dual Camera to See Inclusion in Devices From ‘Major Smartphone Players’ in 2016

Sony, the manufacturer behind many of the camera sensors used in Apple’s iOS devices, recently confirmed that its dual-lens camera platform will be featured in devices from “major smartphone players” in 2016.

The information was shared by Sony CFO Kenchiro Yoshida during the company’s recent Q3 2015 earnings call and was highlighted by Xperiablog. Sony’s camera technology is used by a wide range of smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, and Yoshida declined to name specific companies that would take advantage of Sony’s dual-lens camera platform.

Dual-lens technology has previously been used in smartphones such as the HTC M8, but it may soon become a more popular option following rumours that Apple plans to incorporate a dual-lens system into its iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple is said to be planning to use dual-lens technology it acquired from Israeli camera company LinX in the iPhone 7 Plus, but Apple may still be incorporating Sony sensor components into its camera module. Apple is reportedly testing dual-lens camera samples from a range of manufacturers in Taiwan, Japan, and China.

According to Yoshida, dual-lens camera systems will be coming from multiple major smartphone manufacturers this year. However, it is likely that 2017 will be the year where dual-lens camera platforms really take off.

Rumours have suggested Apple is planning to incorporate a dual lens camera system into the iPhone 7 Plus to differentiate it from the iPhone 7, which will continue to offer a more traditional single-lens camera. Should Apple follow through with its plans, its first dual-lens system will debut towards the end of 2016, likely in September.