iPhone 6 Rear Camera to Retain 8-Megapixel Sensor, Offer Improved Image Stabilization?

[osofast240sx]

I wouldn't be too upset if it stayed at 8MP to be honest. I was thumbing through my pictures one day and I had an old photo it took with with my iPhone 4 and one I recently took with my 5S in nearly the same spot and was stunned by the difference. Improving the lens itself and allowing more light into the sensor can make a world of difference. Now granted in these photos you're going from 5MP to 8 but you can clearly see the quality of the 5S shine through...all the little details especially.

If they can make even the slightest improvements from the 5S I'd be happy.

The difference in picture Quality is not because of the megapixels

 

[JHankwitz]

I actually can see pixelation on 1080p on 60" plus sets. 4K is welcome once the price is right.

Being able to see pixilation is dependent on viewing distance, not screen size.

With a 60" 2K screen, you might begin to see pixilation closer than 8 feet.
With a 60" 4K screen, you might begin to see pixilation closer than 4 feet.

Since my TV set is about 10 feet from my chair, I would not be able to see a difference in sharpness or clarity between the two, so it would be a total waste for me to invest in a 60" 4K TV.

If you were to get a Mac Pro with a 30" 4K monitor, you would need to view it from less than 18 inches to get full benefit. Next time you're at an Apple store, try viewing a 30" monitor from 18 inches or less for an extended period. Sorry, but that's just too close and too big for my comfort.

 

[nia820]

It's hilarious how when apple is behind in specs apple fans will justify it to themselves and say it's better not have upgraded specs lol.

Some of you are saying it will save space. But that issue could be solved if apple would just have an option to choose what resolution you want. So if you want save space you're camera will take lower resolution to save space problem solved. I like the camera on the 5s but they could improve it by adding more mp. They can even make a bigger sensor if the phone is going to be over 5inches.

MPs aren't everything but they give more detailed pictures and can be cropped without making pictures look blurry.

 

[xofruitcake]

It's hilarious how when apple is behind in specs apple fans will justify it to themselves and say it's better not have upgraded specs lol.

Some of you are saying it will save space. But that issue could be solved if apple would just have an option to choose what resolution you want. So if you want save space you're camera will take lower resolution to save space problem solved. I like the camera on the 5s but they could improve it by adding more mp. They can even make a bigger sensor if the phone is going to be over 5inches.

MPs aren't everything but they give more detailed pictures and can be cropped without making pictures look blurry.

But mega pixels is also a bear to deal with. There are more data to capture and process and more importantly more data to move to storage. If Apple can use the additional power to process the pictures better or take faster pictures, I am all for it. For my use (and I think I am part of the majority of 5s users), 8 Megapixel is more than plenty. Smartphone is a consumer product, and Apple (and all other smartphone manufacturers) has to design the phone for 80% of the users. And I think 8 megapixels is more than enough...

 

[tann]

Not surprised, I fully expect them to make the phone even thinner, thus they will likely prioritise making the images look better in the thinner form factor (like with the 5). Maybe MP bump in 2015.

 

[cwwilson]

The difference in picture Quality is not because of the megapixels

No doubt it isn't JUST the pixels. As I said the sensor and lens setup is very important to how much light (photons) can enter said parts. Software also can play a role in improving picture quality if it is tightly integrated to the camera.

Look at how Apple has kept an 8MP configuration but yet every year the camera gets clearer and faster, better color reproduction and now an entirely new flash comes to the table.

No, we don't NEED 10 or 12 or 16 or 48MP but whatever Apple decides to do is fine by me.

 

[vomhorizon]

The only real advantage more MP's offer is the ability to crop pictures etc..and i really do not see this feautre as a mainstream feature from the consumer desirability point of view..The 30-40 MP super cropping camera's will support niche markets

 

[fertilized-egg]

It's hilarious how when apple is behind in specs apple fans will justify it to themselves and say it's better not have upgraded specs lol.

Some of you are saying it will save space. But that issue could be solved if apple would just have an option to choose what resolution you want.

It's not that simple. The image processor still has to work through the pixels transferred from the sensor and downsize them afterward so the penalty is still there. Also not always but often a sensor with less pixels have better low light performance than ones with more times.

Both Nikon and Canon have done the same before, reducing pixel counts to gain speed and low light performance while trading off the resolution. It's a known strategy if you have followed digital cameras.

The only real advantage more MP's offer is the ability to crop pictures etc..and i really do not see this feautre as a mainstream feature from the consumer desirability point of view..The 30-40 MP super cropping camera's will support niche markets

I personally love more pixels for cropping but I agree that "super cropping" is mainly for niche markets, or simply to dupe customers who do not understand what pixel counts do. As long as Apple can improve the performance of the camera all around, the pixel count should be fine at 8.

 

[Max(IT)]

I wouldn't be too upset if it stayed at 8MP to be honest. I was thumbing through my pictures one day and I had an old photo it took with with my iPhone 4 and one I recently took with my 5S in nearly the same spot and was stunned by the difference. Improving the lens itself and allowing more light into the sensor can make a world of difference. Now granted in these photos you're going from 5MP to 8 but you can clearly see the quality of the 5S shine through...all the little details especially.

If they can make even the slightest improvements from the 5S I'd be happy.

Go Thunders !

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I never desired a better camera. It's seriously good enough. Give me speed and battery life at this point

I'm with you for battery life but ..... speed ? I have nothing to complain about iPhone 5/5S speed

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It's hilarious how when apple is behind in specs apple fans will justify it to themselves and say it's better not have upgraded specs lol.

Some of you are saying it will save space. But that issue could be solved if apple would just have an option to choose what resolution you want. So if you want save space you're camera will take lower resolution to save space problem solved. I like the camera on the 5s but they could improve it by adding more mp. They can even make a bigger sensor if the phone is going to be over 5inches.

MPs aren't everything but they give more detailed pictures and can be cropped without making pictures look blurry.

If you speak about lower resolution of a shoot on a digital camera you clearly don't know how it works ....
A digital camera should take picture at ONE RESOLUTION: the one of the sensor it uses. Everything else is software gimmick adversing image quality. Period.

Apple iPhone 5s camera isn't behind galaxy 4 camera, in any way. It just use less megapixel. This is not about technology , it's about marketing for the crowd , like you, that believe "more megapixel = better camera".
Samsung is playing this game in every aspect: more cores, more MHz, more screen, more megapixel ....

 

[jacobj]

Maybe... but I've been feeling like Apple has been falling behind on the iPhone camera hardware a little too much. I'd like to see more substantial improvements.

One nice thing about more MP is that one could crop in and still retain decent resolution. That's a nice thing about Nokia's 41MP lumina. Only problem with that is that its a windows phone.

Although technically true, the cropped image would lack any useful sharpness or detail if cropped down to 8MP for example. I shoot with the 36MP D800 and for all that resolution, if I fail to take a sharp image (bad glass, light, atmospherics, etc). I can't crop it usefully. It's a myth to believe that massive means more cropping.

I could take an 8MP shot on a full frame sensor with great glass in front of it and shoot an image that would crop better than Nokia's MP beasts.

I'd prefer apple to improve the quality if the glass, dynamic range and other technology. They can process images with better results if there are only 8MP to process.

 

[longofest]

Although technically true, the cropped image would lack any useful sharpness or detail if cropped down to 8MP for example. I shoot with the 36MP D800 and for all that resolution, if I fail to take a sharp image (bad glass, light, atmospherics, etc). I can't crop it usefully. It's a myth to believe that massive means more cropping.

I could take an 8MP shot on a full frame sensor with great glass in front of it and shoot an image that would crop better than Nokia's MP beasts.

I'd prefer apple to improve the quality if the glass, dynamic range and other technology. They can process images with better results if there are only 8MP to process.

I've actually seen the resulting pictures from the nokia. It isn't the same as an optical zoom, but it is MUCH better than anything i can get on my iPhone.

 

[SMIDG3T]

This is terrible news. It's not like the camera on the 5s is already outstanding... Wait, it is. Camera improvements aren't a must for the iPhone 6.

 

[Max(IT)]

This is terrible news. It's not like the camera on the 5s is already outstanding... Wait, it is. Camera improvements aren't a must for the iPhone 6.

Actually the news is about an improved camera on iPhone 6 .... optical image stabilization and a bigger sensor are a far more desirable upgrade than just more Mpixel, whatever the Samsung defenders are saying here.

 

[SMIDG3T]

Actually the news is about an improved camera on iPhone 6 .... optical image stabilization and a bigger sensor are a far more desirable upgrade than just more Mpixel, whatever the Samsung defenders are saying here.

Yes, I know the topic is about an improved camera on iPhone 6, why are you telling me that?

 

[haruhiko]

I can't believe the "megapixel war" is still going on in 2014.


"What's the megapixel of your iPhone?"
"8"
"Oh mine is 13 megapixel. Apple is not innovating!"

 

[Wiesenlooser]

Would be great if they could fit OIS in there and add a Larger Sensor (not more megapixels).

Image Stabilization is already top notch on the iPhone and that with only digital processing.

 

[larrybeo]

It's all about the Lens

It's not about megapixels, it's about the lens. My Nokia Lumia 925 has an 8 megapixel camera and man do people with iPhone 5s think it is AMAZING because it has 6 Carl Zeiss lenses on the back of it and can take pictures in the dark. The stabilization and color correction is rather amazing, and the screen being able to reproduce 100% of the color gamut helps the camera look better as well. If the iPhone had the camera that the Lumia 925 has, it would truly be an amazing camera!

 

[Max(IT)]

I can't believe the "megapixel war" is still going on in 2014.


"What's the megapixel of your iPhone?"
"8"
"Oh mine is 13 megapixel. Apple is not innovating!"

Sadly true .... And a lot of supposed "experts" on websites are just supporting this ridiculous line

Who knows something about photography has a totally different vision on the matter.

 

[garylapointe]

True. But the problem is that all phone camera lenses suck. They have to because they are simply too small. Yeah some are better than others but they all suck.

But less/thinner lenses suck more, right?

Gary