iPhone 11 may tout 'Smart Frame' feature to fix your ruined photos

iPhone camera
(Image credit: Future)

The most convincing reason to upgrade to the rumored iPhone 11 in September may be to fix your poorly composed photos, according to a new report today. Apple's square-shaped rear camera is poised to add a wide-angle lens and intriguing 'Smart Frame' feature.

Smart Frame is supposed to let users tweak the standard crop or perspective of photos and videos taken with the normal lens by collecting extra detail with the new wide-angle camera, according to 9to5Mac.

In other words, if your subject is clipped from the photo and not fully in frame (like, say, the tip of a tall skyscraper or the top of someone's head), you theoretically could just adjust the photo in post and save it from being unusable.

What's interesting is the report notes that the extra information from the wide-angle lens will automatically be discarded over time for privacy reasons. It may also take up less space, like how Apple Messages discards voice messages after two minutes.

iPhone 11 leaks continue to detail changes

The front-facing iPhone 11 camera is reportedly getting an upgrade, too, adding slo-mo recording at 120 frames per second (fps). The current iPhone XS series has a rear camera that can record in slow motion with 240fps at 720p or 120fps at 1080p.

Today's report also re-affirms the idea that will be three iPhones: the 5.8-inch iPhone 11, 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Max, and 'cheaper' 6.1-inch iPhone 11 XR. Besides the square-shaped rear camera, little change is expected over the last-generation iPhones.

iPhone XS Max

The Lightning port will live to see another iPhone cycle (Image credit: Future)

The Taptic Engine – which provides haptic feedback through vibrating motors – is being refined in an unknown way for the iPhone 11. This is likely on account of 3D Touch going away with the introduction of iOS 13.

It appears as if the Lightning port will live to see one more iPhone cycle instead of Apple switching to a USB-C port, like it did for the iPad Pro 11, iPad Pro 12.9, and MacBooks. This means the redesigned 2020 iPhone may be the first with USB-C.

Finally, in a surprise to no one, the Apple A13 chipset is expected to arrive with the iPhone 11 series and one-up the A12 chipset. It'll likely lead to CEO Tim Cook calling this the 'fastest iPhone ever' and 'the best iPhone we've ever made' in September.

Matt Swider