[NewsPoster]

The next-generation iPhone may represent Apple's "biggest camera jump ever," says Daring Fireball's John Gruber. In a recent podcast episode, Gruber explains that "a birdie of a birdie" tells him that the camera will adopt a "kind of weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR-quality imagery." That could imply a camera similar to the one in the HTC One M8, which uses an extra lens to provide more image data and enable post-processed focus shifts.

Another company, Corephotonics, has developed a two-lens system that lets people magnify subjects without a conventional zoom lens. That could address one of the biggest remaining limitations of cellphone cameras, which is a short zoom range without a bulging extended lens enclosure.

Another possibility not mentioned by Gruber is the recent development by Sony of a new image sensor that boosts resolution up to 21MP and includes one of the crucial camera selling points in the recent iPhone 6 line, phase detection auto-focus that helps ensure dramatically-sharper images. The company claims it is the first CMOS sensor to feature onboard image plane phase detection autofocus signal processing, allowing for quicker focusing on fast-moving objects. The sensor is said to use up to 192 autofocus points across the sensor, and is only 1/2.4 of an inch in size, with included HDR processing as well.

While the claim is only a rumor, Gruber is typically considered a reliable source, and for several years photography has been one of the main selling points of the iPhone. The product's camera is often considered to have some of the industry's best image processing and low-light sensitivity, even if lacks optical zoom, advanced focus capabilities, or high resolutions.

Originally Posted by NewsPoster 

a "kind of weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR-quality imagery."

This is hilarious! DSLR-quality images? Really? Maybe photographers will get used to having a pitch of 2 microns but a 25-mm? In a thin phone frame? HA! Not gonna replace my D3000 with that. He doesn't even know what it is: "a kind of weird two-lens system."

I am so glad I read this news story, this just made me laugh! Have a great night everyone!

[TheGreatButcher]

Oh man I'm selling my Canon 5D right now...

[Spheric Harlot]

Did you laugh at the claims ten years ago that cellphone photography would displace the point-and-shoot market?

Here we are, with cellphone cameras well into (if not above, in some regards) the quality levels of dedicated point-and-shoots, and that market all but dead...

DSLRs aren't going away, but they will stick around as high-end niche mostly because of flexibility. The qualitative difference will be negligible for most applications within a few years, to be sure.

[OtisWild]

There'll always be a market for physically-large sensors, even if that ends up being for light-field photography. Even with the best cameraphone sensors and lenses you'll still have a smaller aperture letting in less light and thus less information.