Earlier in the week, KGI reported that Apple would not adopt a ‘TrueDepth’ 3D sensor system for the rear camera next year. Today, the same analyst reports that Apple will keep the same six-element rear lens system for the 2018 iPhones.
Despite some industry beliefs that Apple would shift to glass elements, KGI says that Apple will continue to use a six plastic element lens, as seen in iPhone X.
Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple has struck a balance of quality and form factor with the current design and that adopting a newer lens (like a six element or hybrid system) would offer very limited improvements and complicate the supply chain unnecessarily.
This echoes previous claims that Apple is focused on ensuring next year’s iPhone lineup will not have the same supply issues as seen in iPhone X (launching later in the year with limited units).
This suggests a more conservative choice of components, likely featuring internal spec updates. There are currently some reports that Apple will make an iPhone ‘X Plus’ next year, with an even larger display to have approximately the same physical size as an iPhone 8 Plus, but it’s still too early in the rumor cycle to make confident predictions.
