The iPhone 8 is set to arrive this coming September -- and boy, is it going to set the tech world alight with its rollout since 2017 also happens to be the 10th anniversary since the original iPhone launched in 2007. Time has certainly flown by quickly, hasn’t it? While the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ blows the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus right out of the water with its features (save for the lack of a dual camera on Samsung’s latest flagship), how will the iPhone 8 be able to stand up to the scrutiny? Word has it that the iPhone 8 might come with a special new camera that is capable of shooting 3D holographic images, letting you scan a 3D version of yourself right into the smartphone. Now how about that for advancement in technology?
According to Morgan Stanley analyst Charlie Chan, he claimed that a 3D camera company which goes by the name Himax Technologies has had its share price embark on a gravity defying adventure this year for the simple reason that it had come to an agreement with Apple. If Himax Technologies is involved with the iPhone 8, then it would surely see the next generation iPhone keep up with the times where smartphones are concerned, including playing nice with the rising number of augmented and virtual reality games that are in the mobile market at the moment.
How does a 3D holographic camera work? Well, it will require a couple of camera lens that will mimic binocular vision, similar to that of a human’s line of sight. While two cameras can be considered to be a staple for the iPhone already with the iPhone 7 Plus, a 3D holographic image will certainly bring things to a whole new level.
The clever use of advanced image processing will merge the two captured images into a single picture, offering a greater field of depth. This would definitely come in handy where facial recognition technology is concerned, not to mention having its merits when used alongside virtual and augmented reality apps. For instance, how about using a 3D camera to snap a selfie before uploading said 3D avatar of yourself to a game on the handset? Of course, this is still far from being a true blue hologram like what we have seen on comic covers in the past, but at least this is a step forward in an interesting direction where smartphones are concerned.
We do expect the iPhone 8 to see a marked departure from all of the previous iPhones, be it in terms of design, form factor and features. After all, Apple would certainly want to make a big show out of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, and to have the iPhone 8 lag behind in terms of capability and features to its flagship Android rivals simply will not do in this day and age where the customer is more discerning than ever, and brand loyalty alone will not be able to translate into surefire sales.
