According to the latest report, Apple has been researching how to let future iPhone users simply see the difference between wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses directly, giving experienced users more control. It’s possible that most iPhone 13 Pro users don’t know which of the three rear camera lenses is taking a picture. The user can choose, although the iPhone will switch, for example, into macro mode if it determines the user wants it.
But in general, users don’t think about which lens is being used. Typically, the user will only frame the shot, such as using the control buttons to zoom in. Digital Viewfinder User Interface for Multiple Cameras is a newly disclosed patent application that involves showing users all of the iPhone’s camera options.
Not only does this give the user greater control when framing the shot, but it also has an impact on the image quality of the photo. This is because when the user sees all the options through the digital viewfinder, it is also possible to see that a selection will degrade the image quality.
“Optical magnification provides better visual quality, but introduces complexity into the device’s optics,” Apple’s patent application says. “Digital upscaling avoids these complexities, allowing for more efficient device packaging, but may suffer in visual quality.”
Optical zoom is always better than digital zoom because essentially the latter’s job is to make the image bigger by doubling or tripling the existing pixels. Optical zoom brings images closer without sacrificing quality.
However, optical zoom is “complex in the optics of the device” because it is achieved by “moving physical parts such as lenses”. In other words, optical zoom requires a thicker iPhone to accommodate its moving parts.
In order to maintain the thickness of the iPhone, while providing optical zoom, Apple proposes to take advantage of the way the phone includes multiple cameras. The patent application continues: “Approximate optical zoom can be achieved using multiple cameras, even if the underlying camera does not have variable optical zoom capabilities.”
That’s why the iPhone already has multiple cameras. What it lacks is an easy way for users to “take advantage of the benefits of multiple onboard cameras without placing an unnecessary cognitive load on them”. Apple’s advice is to start with the iPhone’s regular viewfinder. Just like now, users open the camera app and see the image the phone would take if they pressed the shutter. When the user swipes on the slider, the iPhone selects the appropriate lens.
At the bottom of the screen, though, Apple has come up with visible slider control. When users swipe over this control button, they can see different options for the camera. No need to click from the camera list, just swipe along the slider control to conceive the shot you want. Touching the slider might switch the iPhone from one lens to another, but the user doesn’t need to know or care.
In addition, the same patent application covers another possibility. One display on an iPhone can also show two different images from the lens. The screen can present a single, independent viewfinder image. This way you can see what the choice will be. The patent application is credited to six inventors. Most, including Linda L. Dong, have multiple previous patents related to the iPhone’s camera and viewfinder system.