Apple Reportedly Looking to Purchase LED Camera Flash Components

[VenusianSky]

As a photographer I would say that a better lens would make a better photograph rather than pumping up the megapixels on the camera unit, flash's on most compacts and camera phones are poor at the best of times due to their location(usually right next to the camera's lens) and at eye level with your subject which creates guaranteed red eye everytime!!

Mike.

That would be great and all, but the question is does any company actually manufacture a better sensor (I assume you meant sensor rather than lens) that can operate properly in something as small as a phone? If so, why don't we see them in any camera phones today?

Yes, a fixed direction flash will not produce anything remotely close to a professional photograph. They do allow you to take up-close photographs in low light that will produce a viewable image. Many people are fine with those limitations. Many people don't even consider such details when taking photos. Many people simply take photos for the sake of the memories.

As technology progresses, we will see better cameras in phones.

 

[Bevz]

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

Me too!

 

[sishaw]

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.

Wouldn't that be awfully hard on the battery?

 

[ChazUK]

Wouldn't that be awfully hard on the battery?

It may but it doesn't hurt these guys

 

[sishaw]

It may but it doesn't hurt these guys

Thanks for the link--everyone wondering about LCD vs. Xenon should take a look. I suspect that Xenon phones all have batteries that you can just pop out and pop in a fresh one. Just a guess, though, I don't know all those models. Also, interesting point about still vs. video.

 

[zachman76]

just got an iphone now what?

Hey guys i just bought an iphone two days ago and i must say at&t sucks. dropped calls left and right and i can't seem to get on the internet other than wifi since i dropped the phone one time. didn't even leave a scuff mark.

Anyway i'm still under the 30 risk free trial and my other phone line is still activated. should i take it back and wait for the new iphone to come out and possibly with Verizon. I like the phone but i'm a litle underwhelmed to be honest.

1. No zoom
2. can't even erase a single recieved call with deleting all of them
3. the camera button is very odly placed which makes it very hard to hold with one hand and and take pics. especially of yourself
4. no multitasking
5. was surprised at the lack of options in setting to custimize.

should i take this back and wait for the 4g with hopes all this will be cured.

 

[Simplicated]

Hey guys i just bought an iphone two days ago and i must say at&t sucks. dropped calls left and right and i can't seem to get on the internet other than wifi since i dropped the phone one time. didn't even leave a scuff mark.

Anyway i'm still under the 30 risk free trial and my other phone line is still activated. should i take it back and wait for the new iphone to come out and possibly with Verizon. I like the phone but i'm a litle underwhelmed to be honest.

1. No zoom
2. can't even erase a single recieved call with deleting all of them
3. the camera button is very odly placed which makes it very hard to hold with one and and take pics.
4. no multitasking
5. was surprised at the lack of options in setting to custimize.

should i take this back and wait for the 4g with hopes all this will be cured.

It sounded like you were here just to bash the iPhone.

Anyway, why not just take it back if you are so unsatisfied with it?

 

[kernkraft]

Revolutionary as SD card slot in 2009? Blu Ray in... never?

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

About the original topic, the flash...


4 years ago, I had a Siemens phone that had flash with its camera. It also had an aluminium and magnesium body, it was a slider and I paid £50+£10 for it, the latter covering the sim card and £10 pre-paid credit. Since then, even cheaper phones have flash. So I am sorry, but so far this year, we only have some speculations, some rumors and an ageing product range from Apple.

In terms of the MacBook Pros, new processors will be introduced, the current C2Ds are getting old. Perhaps new screen options? But after almost all companies coming out with their cheap tablets, I don't know, what sort of thing should Apple come out with to deserve the 'revolutionary' mark. Perhaps reinventing the FM radio and activate them on the iPhones? (If it's true that the hardware is there.)

I'm sorry, but simply showing up is not going to be enough.


HOWEVER, ABOUT GOOD STUFF IN THE INDUSTRY...

Gaming will have a very good year in terms of new hardware. 3D is really taking off with very reasonably priced video cameras out this year. In smartphoneland, there are a few very good devices out, it's not Apple-hegemony anymore. New generation of e-readers are coming out with better screens, longer battery life and we'll see, whether tablets will fulfil their promise. Perhaps there is not a revolution yet, but it's gonna be very solid progress.

Anyway i'm still under the 30 risk free trial

This is not the best time to get an iPhone. But with poor AT&T, there is never a good time. I would take it back and wait a month, you will see, whatever is out by then and with which carrier.

 

[AidenShaw]

i must say at&t sucks. dropped calls left and right

This sounds like reason enough to take it back - apparently you live/work in an AT&T dead zone.

And an updated phone won't fix the carrier problem....

 

[ChazUK]

It sounded like you were here just to bash the iPhone.

I can't help but feel the same way.... Possibly not the best first post on the forums.

If it is that bad for you, take it back while you can.

 

[fox10078]

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

Yes the flashlight app doesn't cut it sometimes. This would make it my swiss army knife.

 

[guzhogi]

About the original topic, the flash...


4 years ago, I had a Siemens phone that had flash with its camera. It also had an aluminium and magnesium body, it was a slider and I paid £50+£10 for it, the latter covering the sim card and £10 pre-paid credit. Since then, even cheaper phones have flash. So I am sorry, but so far this year, we only have some speculations, some rumors and an ageing product range from Apple.

In terms of the MacBook Pros, new processors will be introduced, the current C2Ds are getting old. Perhaps new screen options? But after almost all companies coming out with their cheap tablets, I don't know, what sort of thing should Apple come out with to deserve the 'revolutionary' mark. Perhaps reinventing the FM radio and activate them on the iPhones? (If it's true that the hardware is there.)

I'm sorry, but simply showing up is not going to be enough.

I agree, Apple is really behind the times with a lot of this stuff. Sure, BluRay's a "bag of hurt," but a lot of stuff has been out in competitor's computers for years. And when Apple DOES include somethings, they make it seem like they were the first to do it. Just give us stuff like blueray, an SD slot on the phone, a decent sensor, flash & optics on the cameras, etc., and a better wireless carrier & I'd be happy. I know, probably not gonna happen, but I can at least hope. [/rant]

 

[zachman76]

It sounded like you were here just to bash the iPhone.

Anyway, why not just take it back if you are so unsatisfied with it?

totally not true man. i have plenty of apple products and was so thrilled to get the iphone i couldn't wait any longer. i was holding out for the 4g but didn't think i could wait till summer.

I love the phone but the dropped calls and slow internet or lack of it makes it hard to justify having it. the other things i mentioned are just some things i would think apple may upgrade in the next revision so maybe i should have waited. i mean i can live with a dropped call here and there for an amazing phone. but i also don't want to pay 600 for an iphone 4g if it's as amazing as it should be. so i can opt out now and resign in 6 months and still get subsidised pricing.

 

[lilskaterpunk]

I think it would be a great feature to be added, although the iPhone could use other changes too
This year is gonna be good with Apple

 

[localoid]

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

I think "revolutionary" ranks as one of the most overused marketing terms of the 21st century.

 

[sportsfan]

yes but your link, which is very interesting btw, says the sweet spot is 6 megapixels. So an increase is in order for the iphone camera.

6 megapixels is the "sweet spot" for an imaging sensor that is 2/3 inches.
From what I can find on the internet, the iPhone sensor is 1/4 inches. Which means that the "sweet spot" for the iPhone would be somewhere around 1.7 megapixels.

 

[apple forever]

the idea of having a camera in a phone is good but camera in a phone is just an extra function, they are not a camera, if people want to take pictures use the real thing.

phones with camera supposed to take a quick picture when they do not have a camera with them.

apple shouldn't focus on how many megapixel they have, after all it is a phone not a camera, they should focus on things that the iphone is really missing.

NO FLash of any type is needed for a phone, if people want flash, buy a camera.

 

[goobot]

why cant people understand that the itouch isnt getting a camera. its to thick coastly and its the few key things to the phone the touch doesnt have.

 

[joepunk]

I miss the flash feature of my lost LG 8300 verizon phone. The replacement one that I got, LG 8350, does not have a flash.

So, I am glad that there is talk of iPhones incorporating a flash in the near possible future.

 

[goobot]

I miss the flash feature of my lost LG 8300 verizon phone. The replacement one that I got, LG 8350, does not have a flash.

So, I am glad that there is talk of iPhones incorporating a flash in the near possible future.

dont get your hopes up. many rumors are killed easy. look at the rumored iphone last year.

 

[rwilliams]

why cant people understand that the itouch isnt getting a camera. its to thick coastly and its the few key things to the phone the touch doesnt have.

Exactly. They will never give you all of the iPhone's features in the iPod Touch because it gives the customer no incentive to buy the iPhone, and no iPhone purchase means no monthly kickbacks to Apple.

 

[sishaw]

Hey guys i just bought an iphone two days ago and i must say at&t sucks. dropped calls left and right ...

And this has what to do with the thread, exactly?

 

[KindredMAC]

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.

An "actual photographer" would know the benefits of FILL FLASH. It's easy to call yourself something on the internet and then tell everyone else they can't "BS"....
Every pro that I have ever retouched for has always evangelized about shooting with a flash even outdoors.

flash on a camera phone is rubbish.

But chalk KindredMAC up as one for the megapixel myth.

Where did I say that I was comparing MPs?????
Here is what I said:

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.

Chalk TuffLuffJimmy up as someone who can't understand the English language.

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

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

Phazer

I wasn't quite thinking of in a nightclub setting but a interior home shot in the evening will benefit from any kind of flash! But we are still on the same page!

 

[tennispro5023]

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

You are absolutely 100% correct. I have read postings on how megapixels on a phone do not matter unless you are taking the pictures off the phone and printing them. So megapixels does not really matter and flashes on phone's just suck.

 

[rjohnstone]

That would be great and all, but the question is does any company actually manufacture a better sensor (I assume you meant sensor rather than lens) that can operate properly in something as small as a phone? If so, why don't we see them in any camera phones today?

Yes, a fixed direction flash will not produce anything remotely close to a professional photograph. They do allow you to take up-close photographs in low light that will produce a viewable image. Many people are fine with those limitations. Many people don't even consider such details when taking photos. Many people simply take photos for the sake of the memories.

As technology progresses, we will see better cameras in phones.

Better cameras in cell phones are already here... and have been for a while.

Cell phones with a 12 megapixel camera and a xenon flash exist already.
Sony Ericsson Satio (12.1 megapixels) is one of them and has great reviews.
Granted it cost over $1k.

The Nokia N86 sports an 8 megapixel camera with a Carl Zeiss lens.

The LG Viewty Smart sports an 8 megapixel camera as well and also gets fantastic reviews for color quality.


Carl Zeiss has been making arguably the best lens for cellphones for a long time now.
Much better than the spec of glass used on the 3GS.

Couple that with a quality CMOS (like the one Sony uses) and you have a great camera phone.

So the fact that Apple may FINALLY be putting a flash (and a crappy LED one at that) is neither amazing or revolutionary.