Apple’s iPhones may lag behind flagship Android smartphones in terms of megapixel counts. But the Cupertino company’s devices pack some of the best smartphone cameras. The iPhone 6 Plus comes with Optical Image Stabilization that captures sharp images even in low light conditions. Apple is doing some groundbreaking research in camera technology to make the iPhone 7 camera an even better video recorder.
iPhone 7 may be the best camcorder
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a new patent (via Apple Insider) for a three-sensor light splitter camera technology that could be used in the iPhone 7. Recently, supply chain sources told Kevin King of IHS technology that mass production of the upcoming iPhone 6S is scheduled to begin in June. So, there is a possibility of the new camera technology being used in the iPhone 6S as well. The iPhone 7 is unlikely to arrive before 2016.
The Cupertino company may embed the three-sensor based camera module in its future iPhones to make them the best smartphone camcorder. The technology splits the incident light entering a camera into three wavelengths or colors, via mirrors, lenses or prisms. The three light components are then directed to three dedicated sensors.
Big-name camera players use similar technology
The technology would allow Apple to use more pixels compared to a single sensor, dramatically improving the quality of videos and still images. A similar three-sensor camera module is used in the camcorders of big-name players like Canon, Panasonic, Philips, and a few others. Meanwhile, a separate report earlier this year claimed that the next iPhone may come with a dual-lens camera system and Force Touch technology.
In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Apple’s design chief Jony Ive indicated that the iPhone 7 is unlikely to pack a bigger battery. Ive is in no mood to compromise on aesthetics of smartphones to make room for a bigger battery. However, the company may increase the time interval between charges by making its processors more energy efficient.
