Apple Reportedly Looking to Purchase LED Camera Flash Components

[MacRumors]

AppleInsider reports on information from a source claiming that Apple is looking to acquire significant quantities of LED camera flash components, sparking speculation that the company is planning to add flash capabilities to its camera on the iPhone, and possibly the iPod touch should it also gain a camera.

People familiar with Apple's initiative claim the electronics maker is seeking allotments of LED camera flash components in the tens of millions for delivery during the 2010 calendar year, meaning future iPhones -- and possibly the iPod touch -- are the most likely recipients of those parts, due to their sales volume. Those same people say that Philips' Lumileds Lighting sector is believed to be the front-runner for Apple's business and may have already secured the design win.

Despite the generally-decent image quality of Apple's existing 3.2-megapixel camera in the iPhone 3GS, increasing numbers of smartphones, including the Motorola Droid and Google Nexus One, have been moving to 5-megapixel camera sensors with LED flash to assist in low-light situations.

Apple has reportedly secured orders with current camera sensor supplier OmniVision Technologies for large quantities of 5-megapixel camera sensors, likely destined for the next-generation iPhone. Apple had been planning to add a camera to the iPod touch when it was revised last September, but apparently scrapped the change relatively late in the design process, possibly due to challenges presented by the device's thin profile. Many still expect Apple to add a camera to the iPod touch in the future, although it is unknown how the company will deal with the design challenges.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Looking to Purchase LED Camera Flash Components

 

[pmz]

Can someone show me clear proof that 5 megapix + LED flash makes a significantly better photograph than 3.2 on the iPhone 3GS?

 

[Trexznl]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_0 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7A341 Safari/528.16)

Ik really looking forward to the new iPhone! Gimme 5mpx cam with flash and i'm sold!

 

[iGod 2.0]

A revolutionary year for Apple and...

This year looks like it's gonna be a revolutionary one! What do
you guys think?!

 

[lender30]

Apple should push the improvement further instead of 'catching up'.

 

[martint84]

The next gen iPhone is looking better and better each day. Excited to upgrade my 3G this summer.

 

[pmz]

Apple should push the improvement further instead of 'catching up'.

This. I hope the iPhone does not get an LED flash, they are so ridiculous.

 

[dwman]

Can someone show me clear proof that 5 megapix + LED flash makes a significantly better photograph than 3.2 on the iPhone 3GS?

I'm not a photographer, so don't know if there is a significant difference (I suspect there isn't), but this reminds of the megapixel wars that raged on between camera makers the last few years. A tiny lens with 5, 8 or 10 mp isn't going to produce a quality pic....then again it's a cell phone, so maybe that's not the idea.

 

[zacman]

LED sucks. Better use a Xenon flash.

 

[KindredMAC]

Can someone show me clear proof that 5 megapix + LED flash makes a significantly better photograph than 3.2 on the iPhone 3GS?

Seriously? wow....

Back to reality: I'm really excited by this news! We are using our iPhones more and more for snap shots and this would definitely put the nail in the coffin of our Fuji 5MP that is about 5 years old.

 

[pmz]

Seriously? wow....

Back to reality: I'm really excited by this news! We are using our iPhones more and more for snap shots and this would definitely put the nail in the coffin of our Fuji 5MP that is about 5 years old.

Yes seriously. You have both pieces of equipment? Go take shots and prove it.

You're talking to an actual photographer here so watch the B.S. when you respond.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Seriously? wow....

Back to reality: I'm really excited by this news! We are using our iPhones more and more for snap shots and this would definitely put the nail in the coffin of our Fuji 5MP that is about 5 years old.

flash on a camera phone is rubbish.

But chalk KindredMAC up as one for the megapixel myth.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

LED sucks. Better use a Xenon flash.

What he said.

 

[ipoppy]

Didn't expect that move from Apple. Unless they will have some super duper battery in next iphone

 

[flopticalcube]

I'd rather have a bigger sensor and lens. LED flashes are good for what? 6ft?

 

[Popeye206]

I think we all need to remember... it's a phone... it's an iPod... not a camera. Sure better is great, but I would never expect great quality from any phone. If I wanted that, make my camera into a cell phone! LOL!

I think this is going to be a very interesting year for Apple fans. Competition is heating up and Apple will respond with some great upgrades and new products I'm sure!

 

[ChazUK]

LED sucks. Better use a Xenon flash.

Another vote for what this man says.

Come on Apple, use your excellent engineers to fuse xennon flash into the iPhone. That WOULD impress me.

 

[The Phazer]

Can someone show me clear proof that 5 megapix + LED flash makes a significantly better photograph than 3.2 on the iPhone 3GS?

Try taking a picture of someone in a dark nightclub with your 3GS.

With a flash, there'll actually be a picture.

Phazer

 

[Robert M.]

I'm I the only one that doesn't really care about the camera? I mean, it's great that it's getting a better one! But I hardly ever take pics with my 3GS... Maybe that's just me.

Anyway, it's great that Apple are giving us better camera's and flash! My friend will love the flash! He's been moaning about "no flash" since the first one lol! Now he can shut up!!

 

[jglavin]

AI ran their article with this image - not sure how credible it is. Luxeon is a household name in LED tech though

 

[emulator]

Another vote for what this man says.

Come on Apple, use your excellent engineers to fuse xennon flash into the iPhone. That WOULD impress me.

sure, next year. But 1st sell with LED as the next best thing. You gotta milk the cow every year somehow.

 

[nagromme]

Can someone show me clear proof that 5 megapix + LED flash makes a significantly better photograph than 3.2 on the iPhone 3GS?

Megapixels are often pure marketing gimmickry like the old MHz wars. IN fact, without great optics to back up those megapixels, a higher-MP sensor can actually make a WORSE picture because it’s more sensitive to noise: even with the 5MP image is scaled down. (Many examples are online—the difference is often striking.) I’m skeptical that cell phone is going to have optics to beat many 5MP full-size cameras. In which case, not only are you getting worse pictures, but your pictures are burning up extra storage space for all time!

That said, IF the optics in a cell phone can be good enough to not have 5MP noise problems, then I’d gladly have that feature, for the sake of cropping in if nothing else. Let’s hope Apple cares about noise more than me-too bullet points, and gives good-quality 5MP or none at all. Until we know what they release, all we can do is look at the noise problems with other 5MP+ cameras.

As for flash... well, taking a close-up in a dark room is a no brainer I wouldn’t use it much (and I don’t on my “real” camera either) but I WOULD like to have the option, it it didn’t contribute to a bulkier iPhone.

 

[jglavin]

One advantage of LED flash over xenon is that it can be used as a flashlight.

 

[zed2]

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If it's just more memory and flash then count me out. My 3GS is just fine

 

[LastName]

I thought Apple said they'd never allow Flash on an iPhone.