iPhone 12 Pro leak shows a quad-lens camera with a new iPad Pro feature

The iPhone 12 Pro could have more lenses than the iPhone 11 Pro Max, above (Image credit: Future)

It looks like Apple could add a new camera lens to the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, as a sketch showing exactly that has reportedly been found in a leaked build of iOS 14.

The image, which was spotted by conceptsiphone and corroborated by numerous other sources and leakers, shows a square camera block in the top left corner of the phone, just like the iPhone 11 Pro has, but this time there are four lenses squeezed in rather than three.

While we can’t be certain what any of the lenses are, three of them look broadly the same as the 12MP main, telephoto and ultra-wide ones on the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, while the fourth (the grey one) looks a whole lot like the LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanner that Apple recently debuted on the iPad Pro 2020.

(Image credit: conceptsiphone)

This scanner can determine distance by measuring how long it takes light to reach an object and reflect back again, and it’s a feature that can power advanced augmented reality features and potentially improve Portrait mode.

We’d say it’s a likely inclusion too, as not only does this leak have a lot of backing, it would also seem odd for Apple to leave one of its tablets with a more advanced camera feature than a newer flagship phone. Plus, a number of previous leaks and rumors had pointed to some form of 3D or depth-sensing scanner being added.

While the addition of a LiDAR scanner is the main takeaway from this leaked image, it does also look as though the other three lenses might be slightly larger than on the iPhone 11 Pro range. So perhaps they will be improved in some way, with larger sensors or more megapixels.

We’d expect they’ll still take on main, telephoto and ultra-wide roles though, as those are the three most common and useful lens types on smartphones.

We probably won’t find out for sure for a long time yet, as the iPhone 12 range isn’t expected to land before September – and it might even land later, due to Covid-19 potentially slowing down development.

But we’d expect plenty more leaks and rumors in the meantime, and TechRadar will cover all the credible ones, so stay tuned for updates.

Via PhoneArena

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.

Latest in iPhone
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Apple iPhone 16 Pro on sky blue background with don't miss text overlay
Verizon has just quietly debuted its best iPhone 16 Pro deal yet - get it for free alongside a plan that costs just $25/mo
Apple iPhone 16e on blue background with big savings text overlay
Total Wireless' latest iPhone 16e deal gets you $300 off plus a cheap plan for a year
The Apple iPhone 16e held at a slant at a window
From iPhone to Android and (almost) back again – the iPhone 16e failed to lure me back to iOS
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
The latest iPhone 17 Pro Max leak may have given us another look at its upcoming redesign
Latest in News
Google Pixel 8a in aloe green showing
Google Pixel 9a benchmark link teases the performance of the upcoming mid-ranger
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #1148)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #379)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 17 (game #645)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro HANDS ON
Leaked iPhone 17 dummy units may have given us our best look yet at all four models
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over