Apple announced iOS 9 on Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and immediately released the beta to members of its developer program. As could be expected, developers set about dissecting the software for new features and tweaks. As a result, we are now learning of iOS 9 features that didn’t get any stage time at WWDC, but are no less noteworthy than the features Apple did show off.

One such feature, discovered by developer Hamza Sood, and first reported by 9to5Mac, suggests that the next iPhone – running iOS 9 – may boast a significantly upgraded front-facing FaceTime camera.

Sood discovered code in the first iOS 9 developer beta that adds support for a FaceTime camera with 1080p video capture, 240fps slo-mo video at 720p, a front-facing camera flash, and panoramic selfies.

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

Since Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone model in September when iOS 9 is also slated for general public release, it is probably safe to assume that these code snippets are intended to support new hardware on the next iPhone.

Improved rear-facing camera expected

There has been no shortage of rumors regarding the rear-facing camera in the next iPhone. Last year, John Gruber from Daring Fireball said that Apple could introduce its “biggest camera jump ever” in the next iPhone; he claimed to have heard that the next iPhone camera would use a two-lens system to produce DSLR quality images.

In April, news surfaced that Apple had bought LinX Computational Imaging, Ltd. – a company that produced miniature multi-aperture cameras for use in mobile handsets. LinX’s technology makes it possible to capture high-quality images even in low-light conditions and also boast 3D capabilities – all in a slimmer than usual camera unit.

In May, reputed KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors he expects the camera in the next iPhone to have 12 megapixels.

Given the sources of the above rumors, it is likely the next iPhone will have a much-improved rear-facing camera and given Sood’s discovery, it may be joined by a much better FaceTime camera – As pointed out by The Verge, Sood has correctly predicted new iPhone features before.

In 2013, Sood found iOS beta code referencing a fingerprint sensor, and shortly after that TouchID was introduced on the iPhone 5s. Sood also discovered references to slow-motion shooting or the iPhone’s rear-facing camera – a feature also introduced on the iPhone 5s.

Screenshot: SiliconANGLE via apple.com