With the iPhone 8 reveal (fingers crossed) just three months away, it’s no secret that most people are excited about the device’s rumored edge-to-edge display. It’s with good reason: the last time the iPhone was graced with a new form factor was back in 2014 when Apple introduced the iPhone 6. Nonetheless, the iPhone 8’s edgeless display won’t be the only compelling reason for existing iPhone users to upgrade.
According to a number of reports, the iPhone 8 will also feature a revolutionary new camera with advanced 3D sensing functionality. It’s widely believed that the iPhone’s new camera system will be leveraged for a variety of tasks, including biometric authentication, photography, gaming, and augmented reality.
That said, recent checks from the supply chain (via Barron’s) seem to confirm that the iPhone 8 camera system will represent a huge technological leap forward. Specifically, a new research note from BlueFin Research Partners details a slew of component suppliers who have likely partnered up with Apple on the iPhone 8, with Lumentum reportedly responsible for supplying the device’s 3D sensors.
Following on from our April 28th and May 24th Apple Churn, we have seen some recent resolution in this space. It is our belief that Lumentum (LITE) has received orders for both low- powered and high-powered solutions. Finisar (FNSR) appears to have secured orders for high-powered solutions as well, although we believe LITE will be the dominant supplier. Viavi (VIAV) looks to have a stranglehold on the filter side of the design with a sole-sourced position.
Now as to how this will all translate to user-focused features, it’s believed that the iPhone 8 will support advanced facial recognition. To that point, Apple earlier this year acquired sophisticated facial recognition technology from an Israeli company called Realface. Impressively, Realface’s technology is said to be so accurate and secure that it can readily be used for biometric authentication. As a point of interest, current facial recognition software from companies like Samsung utilize 2D technology. The iPhone 8, in contrast, will reportedly boast 3D technology for greater accuracy and security.
Lastly, BlueFin Research Partners notes that Broadcom will likely be the “lead supplier” for the iPhone 8’s rumored wireless charging feature.
