It looks like a dual-lens camera will be the most exciting upgrade for the iPhone 7 Plus this year, but you might be able to get one a month early from Samsung.
According to one report, the South Korean company is expected to deliver one inside the Galaxy Note 7 edge, which is due to make its debut in mid-August.
In case you hadn’t already heard, Samsung is said to be following up last year’s Galaxy Note 5 with the Galaxy Note 7. It’s going to be so good, it’s skipping a whole generation (or something). But the Galaxy Note 7 edge could be even better!
In addition to curved glass front and back, an improved “Slim RGB” display with Quad HD resolution, and a 4,000mAh battery, the Note 7 edge will be Samsung’s first phone with a dual-lens camera system, according to sources in Taiwan.
It won’t be the first Android with dual cameras, of course. The HTC One M8, which made its debut over two years ago, can claim that title — and we’ve seen a return of the dual-lens setup this year in devices like the Huawei P9 and the LG G5.
None of these are likely to give the iPhone 7 Plus a run for its money like the Note 7 edge will, though. Samsung’s Galaxy S7 series has already helped crush demand for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus this year, and it will be doing all it can to ensure that continues.
Other features we expect to see from the Note 7 and the Note 7 edge include water-resistant designs, USB-C connectivity, up to 6GB of RAM, and expandable storage. The devices are also likely to usher in the new Snapdragon 823 processor from Qualcomm.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
39 responses to “Samsung could beat Apple to dual-lens smartphone cameras”
I’m not quite sure how you can attribute the S7 as “crushing demand” for the 6s. There is no supporting evidence for that claim.
That said, it’s clear that Samsung is bent on copying Apple, no matter what it does. Even the naming convention… why does it have to skip the Note 6 name? Regardless, adding the dual lens hardware is the small part of the equation. It’s what it can do with that hardware that matters. HTC is a good example of that. It has the buzzword “dual lens camera”, but their implementation brings no real practical value. If Apple is able to leverage the technology of their LinX acquisition, Samsung’s matching of hardware will be of no consequence.
Kind of amazing to me that, with so many failures at the expense of rushing something out to “beat” Apple, Samsung still continues to rush something out to “beat” Apple. Bunch of morons running that company.
Apple Maps, Apple Music, iPhone SE,…
Why do you feel that listing great products that Samsung doesn’t have will help you? For that matter, why are you comparing services to hardware?
Yeah, they don’t have a culture of innovation. They copy others and come up with useless gimmickry in hopes that something will stick. They make decent phones, but at the end of the day, they’re still knock-offs of more original work. Unless you think the Edge something of value….
As Samsung’s market share rose, Apple’s went down. There are reports of this online and articles you can read. That’s the support evidence for that claim. And it’s been said that the Samsung Note is skipping to 7 to keep up with the Galaxy S7. They don’t want people to get confused and think the Note 6 is inferior because the Galaxy S7 has a higher number. Also, the Note 7 will be out before the iPhone 7 and the S7 was already released. How are they copying Apple’s naming convention? And I highly doubt this story about a dual lens is true. Samsung’s camera technology already beats everyone else’s and that includes single and dual lens. Besides, Samsung isn’t copying Apple again because many Android devices already had the tech.
To be fair Samsung’s smartphones were not profiting for the longest time until the 6 and 7. Samsung was laying off management and failed sales forces for a while. They also began to mimic the Apple Marketing image which helped a lot.
Beating one company to the start line for new tech is smart. Apple has too many leeks and Samsung is smart to beat them to the punch. (without self innovation this will only carry them so far)
Apple and Samsung are lacking any compelling innovation recently. Google however is plodding along well in that department.
Samsung is reliant on Google and has talks of making their own OS Tizen as the only OS… Samsung however cannot code well at all… Stick with the Google apps and disable sammy’s.
Samsung has become more cult than mac recently.
Samsung stopped being profitable after the S3 and Samsung is innovating in their appliances, IOT, and mobile. Samsung just shown off a prototype of their foldable screen. How is that not innovative? They were the first to release a 10 nm chip and they’re creating the ever lasting battery.
So true….maybe Samsung should have named it the Galaxy SE …LOL
Don’t laugh, I wouldn’t put it past Samsung to copy that naming convention as well.
Like how Apple copied using the word “plus” in naming convention?
Yeah, but you’re mentioning Samsung’s market share in broad terms. When you look at Samsung’s average selling price in the $200+ range, it’s clear that the sales are coming from the low end garbage and not the flagship phones. The S7 isn’t outselling the 6s for example.
The latest reports are from Q1. Samsung only released the S7 in Q1. The math is pretty easy to do. And you can’t “catch up” to something that isn’t out. It’s like saying the iPhone is trying to catch up to the S7 by adding 7 to the iPhone’s name. Well, at least that would make sense since the S7 was released first. The Note 7 will actually come out before the iPhone 7. They skipped 6 so the naming convention can match the S7. I honestly don’t know how u guys swear someone is copying Apple when they haven’t released anything.
Substitute the S6 and S7 where appropriate and the point remains. Samsung has high margins on their flagship devices, just as Apple does. As you say, the math is easy to do. If Samsung were all of a sudden selling a boatload of S7 devices, Samsung would massively increase their profits.
If Samsung were to sell their low tier devices in the United States, people wouldn’t buy them. That’s why they don’t and they are selling boatloads of S7s. That’s why their profits and revenue have increased as well as their market share around the globe. But at this point, I feel like our points are the same, that Samsung is doing very well and they’re crushing demand for the iPhone.
The point is, there is no linkage between the S7 demand and the iPhone. None. iPhone growth is tied to the fact that Apple hasn’t had the big country / carrier rollouts like they did last year. Last year’s iPhone success is almost entirely tied to the China Mobile rollout, etc. Apple knows this, which is why they’ve been courting India lately.
1 market share goes up and the other goes down while everyone else stays the same. If you have 3 Apples and your friend has 1 while everyone else has 2 and by the end of the day, your friend has 3, you have 1, and everyone else still has 2, wouldn’t that be a link? Wouldn’t you say that your friend took your apples? When Apple’s market share grew and Android’s went down, they said they were taking Android customers. Apple said this. So when Apple’s market share goes down and Samsung’s increases, wouldn’t you say that Samsung took Apple’s customers? Apple would. Samsung is also market share king in India because no one there wants to buy old iPhones.
1. Everything doesn’t stay the same as you claim.
2. Samsung’s ASP makes it clear that their market share is tied to low end garbage phones. A segment in which Apple doesn’t even compete.
3. You are comparing sales immediate after the introduction of Samsung’s flagship phone. Do you want to repeat this exercise immediately after the next iPhone release? No?
Other OEMs relatively had the same market share while Samsung and Apple’s changed. Actually, compared to last year, Apple’s market share dropped 8% while Samsung’s rose 5. Seeing how everyone else pretty much stayed the same, where do you think the customer’s went to? Is this not a clear sign of crushing demand? And the low end garbage phones they released in Q1 were the A9, Z3, ON5, ON7, A5, J1, J3. All these garbage phones were specific to certain locations around the globe except the J3, which is the only other device besides the S7 to be available in the US. Are you telling me that the J3 increased Samsung’s market share in the United States? And all these garbage phones, have better screens and better battery life than the iPhone 6s. If these garbage phone are still better what does that say about the iPhone? And I’m not comparing sales. There are no sales numbers. I’m comparing market share in Q1 of 2016. We can repeat this when the iPhone comes out because the Note 7 will be available then. But do check out the chart I’ve attached
Clearly, you’re missing the point. The lower end garbage phones are cheaper. There is no margin on them. Naturally, cheaper, lower cost items sell in higher volumes than premium devices. I’m not disputing the volume of phones Samsung is selling, especially in the space where Apple is not even competing. I’m specifically calling out the fact that Samsung’s increase in sales are at the low end and not at the high end. Do you have specific sales numbers for the S7? No, you don’t. Samsung doesn’t release them. Instead, you have to work backwards and make assumptions based on the ASP for their phones, which remains quite low. As for Apple’s specific sales, this was already explained in their conference call. They went into Q1 2015 with a backlog because they under estimated demand for the iPhone 6. In Q1 2016, Apple didn’t have that backlog because they estimated Q4 2015 correctly. If you look at a multi-year sales chart you’d see that growth in 2016 (due to China Mobile) was an anomaly and that when you normalize the sales numbers, you see Apple remains on the same overall growth path they have been on.
Ok, you win. It was Samsung’s cheaper phone that drove Samsung’stopped
Yeah because Samsung don’t have the highest rated smartphone camera now…..SMH
You’re right… it doesn’t.
Lol Samsung doesn’t have the highest rated camera? Yeah, I’m done. Can’t argue with blind loyalty.
For starters, the claim I replied to also claimed that Samsung had the highest rated phone, not just camera. That’s clearly not the case. Perhaps your own blindness this issue. As for camera, historically, the iPhone has had the best camera, at least since the iPhone 4. Yes, the S6 and S7 have brought that in more parity. Some reviews do favor the S7. Some reviews do not.
imore dot com/best-camera-iphone-6s-samsung-galaxy-s7
The Note 5 is actually the highest rated phone, at least in America. Some reviewers don’t like the S7 camera but there are at least 5 other Android cameras that still beat the iPhone 6. And here’s the article for the Note 5 being highly rated.
9to5 google com/2016/06/02/samsung-galaxy-note-5-beats-iphone-6s-plus-americas-most-loved-phone/
Yet, every flagship iPhone review in history has put it on top at the time of introduction as well. Your point?
The Note 5 was released before the iPhone 6s. It’s older and it’s still on top. It was on top before the iPhone came out and it’s still on top. That’s my point. But I get it, this is the Cult of Mac, no matter how much reality knocks on your forehead, you will still believe the iPhone is the best device out. Your screens, memory, processor, and the tech inside can’t compete with the S7 let alone, the Note 5. How about we both run our phones under water and see which lasts longer. Or we’ll do a charging speed test. What happens if our charging ports break, how will you charge your device? If a store doesn’t accept Apple Pay because it has an old card reader, how will you use it? What does a 4K video taken on your phone look like on a 4.7 inch 750p screen anyway?
… and the source in support of your argument? 9to5 Google. Would you like me to show you reviews of the iPhone being on top? I can play this game all day with you if you’d like.
Actually “For years, Apple has boasted the iPhone as the number one choice for consumers, but as per the last American Customer Satisfaction Index, Samsung seems to have overthrown the Cupertino giant with its own Galaxy Note 5”. The American Customer Satisfaction Index is the source. Lol stupid. If you would’ve read it, I wouldn’t have to do this.
You should take off your AppleVision glasses and take a look around……Galaxy Note 5 is the HIGHEST rated smartphone camera.
Huawei is the first company that introduced dual-lens camera with their P9 smartphone. You sheep tend to deliberately neglect this fact because it hurts your fanboyism knowing Apple copied it and is now calling it a “revolutionary” feature.
Then there is Samsung which Apple copied the whole Note (phablet) series, multiwindow multitasking, picture-in-picture and power saving mode from.
Antenna design on the iPhone 6 and 6s identical to what you’d see on an HTC, clearly copied and HTC even mentioned this one their twitter page.
“We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas” ~Steve Jobs
“Good Artists Copy; Great Artists Steal” ~Steve Jobs quoting Picasso.
As I said in my post, the dual lens camera in and of itself is meaningless as evidenced by existing implementations. Computational photography is the future for smartphones. Huawei and HTC have demonstrated that they do not understand how to leverage this type of hardware. If you’re familiar with the work that LinX has done in this area, then you’d better understand the potential of this type of hardware and what Apple is going to deliver. Try educating yourself a little before further exposing your ignorance.
Apple copied the phablet? Really? Apple redefined the modern smartphone. Apple created the tablet market. The phablet was just a means of competing indirectly as they couldn’t compete head to head. By the way, if the screen size is your sticking point, then you should know that even Apple has shipped mobile products with that screen size back in 1993 with the Newton.
Regarding antenna design, I think you should try doing a little research in the patents Apple has regarding antennas with metal enclosures before speaking further.
Finally, your true demonstration of ignorance is not even understanding the quote from Steve Jobs that you posted. He was quoting Picasso in terms of being inspired by things in nature. He was not talking about copying other people’s work. Try reading the actual transcript in which the quote was taken from you dope.
iPology at its finest!
LOL! I’ll take that as acknowledgement that you have nothing to counter the facts mentioned in my post.
For each feature Apple copied you claim that Apple’s implementation is better which doesn’t make it copying. That’s the whole point of your comment and it’s ridiculous. What am I supposed to say to such stupid claims?
You can’t admit that Apple (like any other company) copies because it hurts your f**ked up fanboyism. Even Apple fans understand that Apple has to copy sometimes.
The problem is, you don’t even understand what copying is. Anyone can rush a concept to market that’s half baked. Does the company that spends the time to get it right get accused of copying when it brings it’s fully baked products to market?
Let’s take fingerprint scanners for example. The Motorola Atrix was first to market with a phone and a fingerprint scanner. The product and the feature were a flop. Why? We know now that the concept is extremely important. But, we only know that because Apple took the time to get it right before it rushed the feature to market. Now, everyone is copying Apple’s implementation. Is Apple really the one copying here? Really??
Existing dual lens cameras are not delivering on their potential. In all fairness, we don’t know if Apple’s will be better, because they haven’t brought it to market yet. If Apple’s implementation turns out to be great, are they copying…. just because someone else rushed out a half baked attempt earlier? Come on, do you even understand what innovation is? Is your blind hatred for Apple that strong that you can’t acknowledge when they get it right?
Dollar wise the S6 made more, no clue on numbers.
Apple is falling behind and helping the competition.
Apple secrecy is gone, every leek Samsung latches onto and beats Apple to the punch now. The lack of secrecy has also lost all of the anticipation and excitement.
Google is coming out with Dua and Allo to match Apple’s facetime and imessage as native chat apps.
Siri came out and was great however Google came out with ‘Ok google’ after and ‘Ok google’ surpassed Siri in less than a year.
AppleTV is a missed opportunity, had they treated that like Google home is advertised to be it would have been awesome.
To be fair all smartphone innovations have slowed and the market is now saturating. Each company is cannibalizing from the other.
There is a lot of missed opportunity with all smartphones when it comes to graphene. A mol hardness of 9, one atom thick, 3d printable, 1000 times more conductive of electricity. This can be used in Screens, Batteries, Solar cells and more… Sammy played with it a bit but to no real effect,.
Apple needs to step up the game… AI, Smart Home (appletv), voice and VR would be a nice start…. Oh and stop all the leeks!!!