iOS 9 code hints at a new iPhone camera designed for taking better selfies

Apple may have banned selfie sticks from WWDC, but the company may not be as put-off by selfies after all.

The Verge first reported about code found in the iOS 9 developer beta that suggests that the forthcoming iPhone model will include an updated front-facing camera with a built-in flash. The iPhone’s front camera will also have the ability to create panoramas, record video in 1080p and capture slo-mo at 24 frames per second. All these functions are currently available on the rear camera of the iPhone 6 models.

This could mean that the next iPhone will take wider selfies so no one feels cropped out, and the flash in the front will help you take selfies even in the dark. No more holding a flashlight above your head to get that nightclub selfie looking picture perfect. Now that’s the type of innovation Apple is known for.

iOS 9 is hinting at future device front cameras having: 1080p resolution, 240fps slow mo, panoramamic capture, flash pic.twitter.com/NkMjdsUZEX

— Hamza Sood (@hamzasood) June 10, 2015

The code was first spotted by London-based developer Hamza Sood. The Verge points out that this is not the first time that Sood has revealed very telling iOS beta code. Two years ago, Sood found iOS developer beta code that hinted at Touch ID and the rear camera’s slow-motion capabilities, before both showed up in the iPhone 5s. 

Why this matters: While Apple keeps boosting the capabilities of the rear cameras in newer iPhone models, the front-facing camera has remained largely ignored when it comes to fancy upgrades. And with competitors like Samsung, HTC, LG and Sony gaining ground by releasing a slew of new smartphones with cameras designed specifically with selfie-takers in mind, Apple is realizing that the selfie is probably here to stay. The selfie stick, on the other hand…