Hi all,
I've been reading about the new iPhone 16e, and I've got a question. That phone has a single camera, but my iPhone 12 mini has a dual camera. I use apps like Be My Eyes with BeMyAI, SeeingAI and sometimes ChatGPT's video capabilities a lot. I use them from everything to reading content from screenshots to identifying mail and food items. I often get really good OCR results through using BeMyAI, and if I were to buy the new iPhone 16e, would that be compromised in any way? OCR is essential for me for work sometimes, and I don't want to be without it. Logic tells me that it surely would be compromised, because the more cameras there are, the easier it is to get good and accurate results, and for the phone to pick up stuff. So if I only have one camera, the quality would be diminished surely. Surely the more cameras there are, the better the picture for OCR and other things. Just wondering what people's views and experiences are on this. Or maybe I'm wrong, and a single camera is just as good as a dual camera.
By Tara, 22 February, 2025
Forum
iOS and iPadOS
Comments
Camera
Do not think so. The 16E will not have the macro and long distance camera. The one it will more likely do the job. It suppose to have good sensors.
long-distance camera
But surely having a long-distance camera will make it easier for me to take pictures from further away, meaning it doesn't matter so much if I'm slightly out when I try and identify something. BeMyAI does a pretty good job, and so does SeeingAI. The 12 mini's cameras seem to be good enough, I'm just worried that a single camera will give me a lot worse results, either that, or I'll have to be a lot more accurate when positioning the camera to take a photo or when pointing it at something.
Cameras
Hi Tara,
You should be fine. There is a misconception on what exactly the multi-cameras actually do. With a multi[camera system, you get a, "standard", camera for the day-to-day shots. You also get a wide-angle camera for, well, wide-angle shots. Like that group photo you took at the last family BBQ, which had like 23 of your family members are scrunched up together to get into the shot.
Ah, good times ...
Finally if you have a Pro model, you get a third camera; a long range system for taking shots from afar.
Fun fact: Wide-angle will seldomly ever be used for ocr, and long range will, never, be used.
Unless you are trying to ocr something from several feet, or I suppose km in your case, to a mile away.
Good luck with that. 😉
On the flip side, a single camera system has all of the aforementioned capabilities, but at a reduced capacity. In other words wide-angle will not be as wide, and long range will be not as far away.
I hope that helps, and please forgive my snark. 😇
interesting
Hi Brian,
That's certainly food for thought. The long range stuff might be useful for navigating though. I'm thinking of an app like OOrion where I can point it at anything from objects to text, and I'll have an idea whether I'm approaching the door or bus stop. There'll be times in the future when I might need help with navigation if there's noone around. I'd rather have options if I need them, and I think something like the pro would give me said options. I just wish I could have BeMyAI on a pair of affordable glasses, but nope, that doesn't look like it's going to happen. And actually in the UK, a lot of us still use feet and miles and so on, at least, we slightly older folks do. They use KM in Europe, and it drives me mad whenever my European friends start talking to me in KM! I know the pro is way more expensive than the e, but I'd rather have as many options as I can at this point. I was originally thinking of getting the pro because of LiDAR, and then saw all the stuff about the iPhone 16e, but I still think I'll go for the pro.
Sure. Choice is a beautiful thing.
With your usecase you might get actual use out of the zoom lens on the Pro models. It's all about choice. I for one am really digging this new 16e. Of course by the time I am ready to upgrade again, the 16e will be outdated. Heh!
Oh, I do not know if you have read my post on obtaining a pair of Meta's through insurance, or if you already own a pair? You can get Be My Eyes on those, and can have a pretty sweet experience.
More food for thought.
Beware of calories~
My thoughts
I don't think apps currently automatically switch lenses based on what obbjects they are focusing. For example, if I am pointing Be My Eyes out of the window, would it automatically determine that it should use the camera for long-distance shooting? If I am pointing Seeing AI at a paper receipt, would it automatically switch to macro lense?
Currently, I don't think it even offers any control to switch what lense it's using. It just uses the default lense.
Currently Having multiple cameras can be useful for people with little sight. I was at an event few days ago, and my friend used my 15 Pro Max to shoot objects which were thousands of feet away from us, and later I was able to see them nicely at a large screen. The clarity of footage using a dedicated lense for that stuff is unmatched, you won't get that out of your usual normal distance lense. This is very rare thing though. I don't use it that often.
Brian and SeasonKing
Hi
I've just looked up info about the lenses on an iPhone camera, and apparently in settings you can change which lens the camera uses, but whether it'll default to the standard when you try to use BeMyAI, who knows? I'll have to do some more investigating. As for the Meta Ray-Bans, the only time I would ever use them is for Be My Eyes, and I don't want to buy a pair just for that because I would only need a volunteer once in a blue moon. If they got Be My AI, I would buy them in a heartbeat. I've never heard of vision insurance, I don't think we even have that in the UK. I saw your post about it though.
Lens selection
@SeasonKing,
The lens selection is done internally by both hardware and software, respectively. These are, "smart", devices, after all. Otherwise, why else would you have a separate wide angle lens, and a separate long range lens, if not to be utilized based on situational needs?
@Tara,
Oh, I am sorry to hear that about the insurance.
one camera will be just fine
You will be fine with just one camera in my opinion. The 16E is a good phone in my Opinion.
One camera should not be an issue
Hi Tara. I don’t think the single camera would be an issue either. However I believe I read that the camera on the 16e does not have Optical Image Stabilisation, which helps compensate against your hand shaking etc when taking a picture.
I don’t know enough about cameras and how apps like Be My Eyes benefit from that feature, but it gives me pause for thought for sure if true, so thought I’d mention it.
If anyone here knows more I’d be curious to hear it. Though I’m not in the market myself as I have a 15 Pro.
LiDAR is the other possible consideration, but I’ve never quite managed to decide if that is worth caring about, I suspect not.
Optical Image Stabilisation
Hi Dave,
Yes, that would help me. My hand does shake occasionally when I take a picture sometimes. As for LiDAR, if I got a lanyard or chest harness, that could help with navigating unfamiliar areas. I've heard of people using it pretty successfully. It's just another possibility I'm thinking of.
Dennis Long
Agree with him.
LiDAR hasn't taken off
I'm actually thinking of downgrading from the 15 pro max. I have an SE3 I've used be my eyes on that and the 15 pro max and notice no difference what so ever. so I truly think the camera will have no difference what so ever.
LiDAR hasn't taken off.
re Dennis
Interesting comparison. LiDar hasn't taken off yet, but it might do in a few years, who knows? The more I think about this, the more I want more options. I like the idea of the long range camera for navigation and possibly other things.
apple doesn't tell you, but you ought to know
1) the phone does not switch lens automatically, except for macro photo and recording video if you don't lock your focus.
2) you switch lens when you zoom in and out. 2x and above, the telephoto lens is used; 0.5 or less, the wide angle lens is used.
3) if you never do any adjustment like exposure time, focus lock or zoom, then the main camera is always used except for macro photo described above.
4) if you only do basic things like our or object recognition, one camera is more than sufficient. hell, even the 13 year old iphone 5 camera is more than enough, but why not give yourself more options? obviously, if one can't see the results of the photos one takes, it's hard to have a strong motivation to give any effort, but you can still create beautiful works. try recording timelapse video, even the blind can create stunning timelapse when the scene is carefully chosen.