To ensure simultaneous image capture, Apple included a portion in the patent to index and compare the times at which the photos are captured in each of the cameras.
Apple's patent isn't just for phones, it also includes computers, tablets, cameras and gaming consoles. This technology could very well become a part of many different future Apple products. There is no mention of using the side-by-side cameras for 3D within the patent, and the slight offset of the two images raises the question of how well an intermediate composition of the two photos would actually look. There are no details about how the photo data would be analyzed and combined.
As always, patent applications aren't proof that we'll actually see the technology in a finished product, but it does show us some of the things Apple is considering for its future camera systems.
Writer - Liam McClelland | @Liamicy