Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is rumored to be in the works and so is the Apple’s next big thing in the smartphone world – the iPhone 7 and the phablet iPhone 7 Plus (iPhone 7 Pro).
Since the introduction of the Plus model, Apple has found it difficult to differentiate the phablet from the standard offering, apart from the size aspect. Of course, there are some subtle differences, however, rumors claim that Apple wants to put these two devices apart further with the help of the camera. Speaking of the camera, the latest word on the street has it that Samsung could also be working on something special for its future smartphone camera, however, this is probably not meant for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 6.
If rumors are to be believed, the upcoming camera specs will include a 1/1.7-inch sensor with a massive aperture of f/1.4. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are believed to be equipped with the best smartphone cameras at the moment, yet they come with a 1/2.5-inch sensor with an aperture of f/1.7.
The camera front is one area where each smartphone manufacturer is looking to beat their competitor. If Samsung is indeed working on such a device, it will mean Apple really sweats for its money with respect to the iPhone 7 Pro. With a bigger sensor like the one mentioned, it will mean more light is captured even when in poor lighting conditions – hence quality photos.
This is huge from Samsung, but it raises a bit of concern, especially that the company is looking to bring in thinner flagships than what are currently offered. The said 1/1.7-inch sensor is quite large and in fact, it has dimensions of about 7.6 by 5.7mm. Fitting such a huge sensor in a phone with the dimensions that a possible Samsung Galaxy Note 6 or maybe a Galaxy S8 will have is quite impossible.
If you ever came across the Nokia 808 PureView, you’ll get a sense of this. This phone has a massive snapper with 41MP, a 1/2-inch type sensor and a decent aperture of f/2.4. However, the “swollen” form factor of the phone’s camera module is nothing any futuristic smartphone owner would want to have on a pricey Samsung Galaxy Note 6 or Galaxy S8 for that matter. Unless Samsung has some way of turning the tables around, it will be very hard to fit such a huge sensor in a slim phone. Maybe the company is working on a camera-like smartphone for the future.
iPhone 7 Pro to feature dual cameras
While Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is probably looking to come in with a larger sensor with equally larger aperture, Apple is doing something different, something that might just put the phablet iPhone 7 Pro ahead of the Galaxy Note 6.
As mentioned at the beginning, the huge sensor that Samsung is rumored to be working on might not be ready for Samsung Galaxy Note 6. This means that the Korean company will probably stick with what is available on the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. On the other hand, iPhone 7 Pro is believed to be coming in with dual camera technology, much like what LG G5 and Huawei P9 are offering.
Perhaps Samsung should have thought of going this dual-camera way. Rather than just increase the physical size of the sensor, the dual-camera technology can also be used to increase the total sensor surface area. Dual camera setup means more light is captured than what a single sensor would do without affecting the form factor of the device in question.
Switching to a bigger sensor obviously has its problems as we can see. With this in mind, it is possible that Samsung wasn’t prepared for the dual camera technology on the flagships and it isn’t even ready for the same as far as Samsung Galaxy Note 6 is concerned. This is where Apple might just get an edge over its closest rival when it unveils the dual-camera iPhone 7 Pro later this year.
This doesn’t completely write-off Samsung Galaxy Note 6, especially since the same rumors claim that the company is also working on another 1/2.3-inch sensor, which could probably be meant for the phablet. When compared to the 1/2.5-inch sensor used in the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, this would represent a significant bump in quality.