Apple, Huawei Seen Leading Dual-Cam Upgrade Cycle, New 3D Apps Key

By | February 26, 2016

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Apple ( AAPL ) and China’s Huawei could drive adoption of dual cameras in smartphones, says a new Morgan Stanley research report that takes a look at potential upside for optical component makers in Asia if dual-cam becomes mainstream by 2018. Observers speculate that Apple’s iPhone 7 could feature dual-cam capabilities. Morgan Stanley says that Apple and Huawei will likely be the main OEMs to adopt dual-cam technology this year, because of their R&D capabilities, followed by other smartphone makers. The technical benefits of dual cameras in smartphones are many, including much improved resolution, especially in low light, and increased range and depth analysis. “We think the dual-cam rally is more about when than if,” Morgan Stanley analyst Jasmine Lu said in the report.  “Apple will likely account for 42% (or more) of total global dual-cam volume from 2017.” HTC first introduced the feature two years ago, but the user experience was poor, says Morgan Stanley. In December 2014, Huawei took the wraps off the Honor 6 Plus smartphone, which had a dual-cam design. LG Electronics was the first Korean smartphone maker to feature a dual-lens camera module in its smartphone, the V10, released in Q4 2015. At last week’s  Mobile World Congress , it unveiled the G5, which features a rear dual-lens camera module. Morgan Stanley says that component makers Largan, Alps and Sony ( SNE ) should gain when dual-cam becomes mainstream. New apps will be key. “We believe dual-cam not only helps narrow the image quality gap with SLR cameras but also allows developers to design new killer apps by leveraging in-depth analysis/mapping for 3D objects,” Lu wrote. “We expect dual-cam to trigger a multiyear upgrade cycle for the optical industry.” Scalper1 News

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