iPhone 7 Plus could have two cameras to allow it to take better pictures, report claims

The phone isn’t likely to be released until September, but details are already being revealed

Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at Apple Inc, speaking about the live photo capability for new iPhone 6 in September (Corbis)

Apple’s next iPhone could have two cameras in the back so that pictures are even better quality.

The iPhone 7 Plus would use the “dual camera system” to help phones create high-quality images, and allow them to zoom in without losing quality, according to often reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The company might even create two versions of the larger iPhone, one with and another without the system. It is currently manufacturing both, according to the report, though it may be that Apple will drop one design and continue with just the other.

If Apple were to offer both versions, it would be the first time that it has sold two versions of the same phone with different hardware. The company offers options for storage and colour, but tends to sell each generation of phone with the same features.

The rumour squares with previous reports about a dual-camera setup. Apple pundit John Gruber reported in 2014 that he had heard the company was working on new technology that would use both of the cameras to create a deeper and sharper image, more in line with SLR cameras.

The company also bought a company that uses dual-camera setups for photos early last year. And a patent application earlier this month included plans for a dual-camera phone.

As well as improving the quality of photos, the setup could allow the company to reduce the size of the camera and avoid the protruding camera that is found in the iPhone 6 and 6s.

Some systems that allow for 3D image capture use two cameras to allow them to sense depth. But the new phones won’t use the cameras for that purpose, the report said.