3 features we're expecting to see on Apple's new iPhones that Samsung's Galaxy S10 already has

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3 features we're expecting to see on Apple's new iPhones that Samsung's Galaxy S10 already has

iPhone XS

Edgar Su/Reuters

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If history is any indication, we can expect Apple to unveil its next-generation iPhones in the fall. Even though September is still months away, some reports have already provided insight about what the company's iPhone XS successors will entail.

Based on the rumors so far, it seems like the biggest updates we can expect to see will involve a new triple-lens camera system and bilateral wireless charging. Such features would be new for the iPhone, but might sound familiar to anyone who's used Samsung's Galaxy S10.

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It wouldn't be surprising to see Apple adopt certain smartphone features after Samsung. Apple has a reputation for rolling out new technologies at its own pace rather than rushing to be the first. Apple was far from being first company to launch a smartwatch, for example, but it's now the most popular smartwatch maker in the world. The company was also slow to add larger screens and OLED displays to its iPhones, which Samsung and other device makers had long offered before Apple.

Here's a closer look at the features we're expecting to see in the next iPhone that Samsung's flagship already has.

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Apple's next premium iPhone will reportedly have three cameras.

Apple's next premium iPhone will reportedly have three cameras.

The high-end iPhone Apple is expected to release this fall will be the company's first smartphone to come with three cameras instead of two, according to reports from Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal. These reports indicate that only the most expensive, largest new iPhone — presumably the successor to the iPhone XS Max — will have this triple camera setup. Bloomberg does note, however, that this feature could eventually come to other models.

But a more recent report from Macotakara — a Japanese blog focused on Apple news — suggests that Apple is planning to release two new iPhones with triple camera systems this year.

Samsung's Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus both have three rear cameras.

Samsung's Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus both have three rear cameras.

Samsung's flagship phones have a 12-megapixel telephoto camera, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera mounted on their rear panels. The Galaxy S10 5G also as a fourth depth-sensing camera.

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Apple is expected to add reverse wireless charging to its next iPhones.

Apple is expected to add reverse wireless charging to its next iPhones.

Apple's upcoming trio of iPhones may support bilateral wireless charging, well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities wrote in a note which 9to5Mac reported.

This feature would make it possible to wirelessly charge another device — perhaps an Apple Watch or the new AirPods wireless charging case — by resting it on the back of the iPhone.

Samsung's Galaxy S10 lineup can already be used to charge another phone or smartwatch.

Samsung's Galaxy S10 lineup can already be used to charge another phone or smartwatch.

Samsung's Galaxy S10 phones have a feature called Wireless PowerShare, which makes it possible to power up a compatible device by resting it on the phone's back panel. That means Galaxy S10 owners can also charge two devices at once by plugging in their phone and resting another device on its backside.

The company says most devices compatible with the Qi wireless charging standard should work with Wireless PowerShare. In the photo above, the Galaxy S10 is being used to charge Samsung's wireless earbuds, the Galaxy Buds.

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Apple may add USB-C compatibility to its next-generation iPhones.

Apple may add USB-C compatibility to its next-generation iPhones.

The Lightning port has been the standard method for charging the iPhone since 2012, but that could change this year.

Apple has been testing versions of its 2019 iPhone that include a USB-C port instead of the Lightning port, according to Bloomberg, but it's unclear if this is slated to launch.

Instead of doing away with the Lightning port altogether, Apple may include a USB-C to Lightning cable with its next iPhones, Macotakara reports.

Samsung's Galaxy phones have had USB-C ports for a while.

Samsung's Galaxy phones have had USB-C ports for a while.

Samsung has been using USB-C for its flagship smartphones since the Galaxy S8 launched in 2017, making the S10 the third generation of Galaxy S phones to adopt the technology. That means that unlike iPhones, you don't need a proprietary charger to power up Samsung's smartphones.

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