iPhone 14 could finally get the super-useful selfie feature you’ve been waiting for

Since the iPhone 11, iPhones have always used the same 12MP f/2.2 front camera, but it sounds like the iPhone 14 might finally bring a small spec change that could improve selfie-taking capabilities.

According to prolific Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the upcoming family of iPhones is getting two key upgrades to the front-facing camera. These are set to be a bigger aperture on the lens, as well as the addition of autofocus.

Kuo says the f-stop will drop from f/2.2 to f/1.9, a shift that will increase the aperture a little bit. As a result, more light will reach the sensor, making pictures a little lighter – plus, it allows for a shallower depth of field.

iPhones haven’t had autofocus in the past, though they’ve had software solutions that do basically the same thing. However, hardware autofocus will make for a more convenient and natural effect, and will also work better for video calling and live streaming apps, according to Kuo.

Analysis: a necessary improvement

It’s somewhat surprising that Apple doesn’t already offer traditional autofocus for its iPhone selfie cameras, since it’s a useful feature that many phone makers use a lot, but it’s not vital for front-facing cameras as you’ll generally be holding your phone at the same distance from your face every time you take a snap.

Plus, the depth-sensing effect creates natural background blur in Portrait mode, which makes autofocus less necessary.

So autofocus coming to iPhone front-facing cameras will be useful for some people, but it’s not going to lead to a dramatic improvement in selfie quality for users. The improved lens will have more of an effect for that, though again aperture isn’t a massive change.