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iPhone 8 may get killer video upgrade, HomePod leak hints

4K resolution at 60 frames per second would make iPhone videos crystal clear and buttery smooth.

Gordon Gottsegen CNET contributor
Gordon Gottsegen is a tech writer who has experience working at publications like Wired. He loves testing out new gadgets and complaining about them. He is the ghost of all failed Kickstarters.
Gordon Gottsegen
2 min read
James Martin/CNET

Showing off your last vacation videos may get a lot easier.

The possibility of video capture with 4K resolution at 60 frames per second for the upcoming iPhone was spotted in Apple's HomePod firmware leak by Brazilian site iHelp BR

The rear cameras on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus can record 4K video but only at 30fps. Their front cameras max out at a resolution of 1080p too. The code also includes "front" and "back" identifiers for the 4K, 60fps video support and mentions a "2017iPhone." If these hold true, videos on the next iPhone for both the front and rear facing cameras will look ultrasharp and buttery smooth.

Countless leaks and speculation about the next iPhones have appeared in the last few months. Apple is rumored to be celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the original iPhone by releasing a super premium iPhone 8 (though no official name has been given, so it could be called the iPhone X or iPhone 10 or iPhone Whatever) alongside a iPhone 7S and 7S Plus

The biggest reveal, however, happened when Apple released the firmware for its upcoming HomePod, which is the gift that keeps on giving. From the code for iOS, we've already learned things like the possible design of the iPhone 8 and the fate of its home button. (Although nothing is certain until it's announced, leaks coming straight from Apple give us a better idea of what to expect.)

The HomePod code also hints that the next iPhone could feature facial recognition allowing you to unlock your phone by taking a selfie. If this is the case, higher resolution on the iPhone's front camera could help make the process more secure. In addition, Apple is getting into augmented reality with its ARKit software. Better video capture could make Apple's AR experience much more immersive and make for better object tracking.

Despite the evidence, our suspicions likely won't be confirmed or denied until Apple announces its next batch of iPhones. (And Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) But since the company has a tendency to unveil its iPhones in September, we may only be a month away from the grand reveal.

Watch this: Every iPhone 8 detail revealed by Apple's accidental leak