The iPhone 14 will have an autofocus front-facing camera, if a reliable source is correct. Previous iOS handsets used a fixed-focus selfie cam instead.
In addition, the front camera will allegedly have a lower f-stop. Both changes will help make the iPhone 14 a better option for narcissists.
iPhone selfie cam finally gets autofocus
Apple builds excellent selfie cams into its handsets, that can take great-looking images and video. But there’s always room for improvement.
“The front camera of four new iPhone 14 models in 2H22 would likely upgrade to AF (autofocus),” wrote TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday. He also predicted the iPhone selfie cam aperture will change from f/2.2 to f/1.9.
“AF support and a lower f-number can provide a better shallow depth-of-field effect for selfie/portrait mode,” Kuo said on Twitter. “In addition, AF can also enhance the focus effect for FaceTime/video call/live streaming.”
The iPhone 13 series and its predecessors all use fixed-focus selfie cameras. That hardware puts everything in focus (as long as it’s not too close to the camera). In contrast, an autofocus camera moves the lens when taking images to focus only on what’s important.
As Kuo notes, an iPhone 14 with an autofocus front camera would be much better at putting the subject of an image in focus while blurring the background. iPhone currently accomplishes this trick with software.
But there has so far been no suggestion that the iPhone 14 will utilize Center Stage, a more advanced AI trick that allows the cameras on some iPads and Macs to follow the subject during video calls.
Kuo has sources in Apple’s component supply chain that have helped him build a reputation for generally accurate predictions about upcoming iPhone, iPad and Mac models.
Expect other iPhone 14 camera improvements
It’s apparently not just the selfie cam that’s getting an upgrade. Apple is expected to give iPhone 14 Pro a rather significant rear-facing camera upgrade that could include a 48-megapixel wide angle sensor.
The downside is that the 2022 iPhone models supposedly will come with even heftier camera humps.
