Every iPhone 14 model might get two big selfie camera improvements

Autofocus and an extra element

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Front-facing cameras on smartphones can often feel a bit neglected, and the iPhone is no exception, asApplehasn’t significantly upgraded the selfie cameras on these since theiPhone 11. But another big upgrade could be on the way.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo - an analyst with a good track record for Apple information - writing onMedium, Apple is planning to add autofocus to the front-facing camera on theiPhone 14line.

This isn’t actuallythe first time they’ve said this, but in reiterating it now it shows they’re still confident of it. It’s something that we’ve also previouslyheard from other sources, so it seems likely.

That’s not the only upgrade the selfie camera might be getting though, as Kuo also claims that Apple is going to use a six-element lens, up from five elements on theiPhone 13lens.

That refers to the number of individual glass parts within the lens, and while more isn’t necessarily better, it certainly can be, and likely would be in this case – especially as Kuo describes this change as an upgrade.

So it’s likely that the selfie camera on the iPhone 14 and its siblings will offer significantly improved performance over previous iPhones if this information is right.

Kuo also shared information on the suppliers tapped by Apple to build this new camera, which isn’t of much interest except that if Kuo has those details then it’s all the more believable that they’d know about any planned upgrades.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

Analysis: autofocus vs fixed focus

According to Kuo, the move to autofocus will lead to “significantly improved selfie and video performance,” so the iPhone 14 should be a major improvement.

Current iPhones used fixed focus selfie cameras, which means that the lens can’t be adjusted, and - without the help of additional software - the amount of a scene that’s in focus is consistent across shots. With autofocus though you can optimize the focus for the type of shot you want to take. This allows for more varied shots, and potentially for improved sharpness.

There’s a tiny downside to autofocus in that it needs a split second to focus, while a fixed focus lens doesn’t, but for the most part autofocus is superior and more desirable.

However, it’s less essential on front-facing cameras than rear ones, since you’ll generally be taking the same sorts of shots from the same of distance, as most people will primarily be shooting selfies. Plus, software can pick up some of the slack.

But autofocus is still a good upgrade, and one that’s been a long time coming.

Via9to5Mac

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

You can try new Apple Intelligence features like Genmoji, Image Playground, and ChatGPT in Siri today with launch of new public betas

5 must-have iPhone apps

Latest Google Pixel update includes surprise launch of Android 15’s best battery feature