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Omnivision Announces 20% Thinner 8-MegaPixel Camera Sensor for Use in Smartphones

This is a great news for all the apple users. I think most of the users really do appreciate apple and its features but one way or the other, camera has always been a little bit of disappointment for the users. So if they can fix it along with getting the overall device slimmer, that will be simply fascinating.
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My guess is that Apple has a timed exclusivity on this part and it will became available for the rest of the industry at the mentioned date.

As for iphone delay, I don't think it's an A5 issue. I think it's merely a timing one: lining up supplier and production strains to complement demand peaks respectively for iPad and iPhone.
 
Would love to have this new fancy camera sensor in the new phone. Seems like it's a little late to join the party. But we can all dream.
 
This New OmniVision OV8850 is a Step Backwards

Hopefully Apple will not go with the OV8850 since it'll be a step backwards from the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 uses a larger 1/3.2" sensor instead of 1/4" allowing it to capture more light, especially useful for night shots and other sub-optimal conditions. This new OV8850 has a light sensitivity of 650 mV/lux-sec whereas the iPhone 4's OV5650 has double the light sensitivity at 1300 mV/lux-sec. Megapixels are good for marketing, but they don't always make for a better picture.

Unless OmniVision can come up with a 8MP camera that can match the iPhone 4's 5MP light sensitivity, Apple should consider sticking with the existing 5MP camera and enable 1080p video recording as the new feature since that seems to be the new capability of the Apple A5 SoC. The existing iPhone 4 OV5650 is already capable of 30fps 1080p recording, just that the Apple A4 seemed the limitation.
 
commander.data said:
Hopefully Apple will not go with the OV8850 since it'll be a step backwards from the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 uses a larger 1/3.2" sensor instead of 1/4" allowing it to capture more light, especially useful for night shots and other sub-optimal conditions. This new OV8850 has a light sensitivity of 650 mV/lux-sec whereas the iPhone 4's OV5650 has double the light sensitivity at 1300 mV/lux-sec. Megapixels are good for marketing, but they don't always make for a better picture.

Unless OmniVision can come up with a 8MP camera that can match the iPhone 4's 5MP light sensitivity, Apple should consider sticking with the existing 5MP camera and enable 1080p video recording as the new feature since that seems to be the new capability of the Apple A5 SoC. The existing iPhone 4 OV5650 is already capable of 30fps 1080p recording, just that the Apple A4 seemed the limitation.
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Thanks for the detailed info. We have to remember that this model is much more shallow than the iphone 5's camera. Might there be a larger unit with more light sensitivity loosely based on this model?
 
MacSlut said:
The MP Myth is actually a bit of a myth in of itself.

Yes, a lot goes into making a good camera and the lens is often way over looked. Yes, many camera have too many megapixels resulting in poorer low light performance. Yes, you do want a larger sensor to increase the megapixel amount, versus increasing the density.

However, new backlit sensors have really compensated a lot for the low light performance of the increased pixel density. And in situations where improvements to the lens can't necessarily be made, improving the pixel density can offer other advantages, such as actual usable digital zoom and image stabilization along with other sensor processing that can make up for the limitations of the negative impacts of increasing the pixel density.

The bottom line is that it's a much more complex formula for evaluating the impact of one level of megapixels versus another. More pixels could make things better, worse, or indifferent.

Considering this company's history, as well as Apple's, it's likely this sensor is going to deliver better images while using less power and occupying less space. So what's not to love?
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You are very well informed undoubtedly. The problem is that the average consumer assumes that megapixels are the standard for a quality camera. Hence why that Megapixel Myth article exists. Those users don't account for the other parts that affects the effectiveness of the camera that you have shown. Consumers do need to be better informed for whatever type of product they use in order to effectively use their money.
 
Radex said:
You are very well informed undoubtedly. The problem is that the average consumer assumes that megapixels are the standard for a quality camera. Hence why that Megapixel Myth article exists. Those users don't account for the other parts that affects the effectiveness of the camera that you have shown. Consumers do need to be better informed for whatever type of product they use in order to effectively use their money.
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They could take the camera away completely, and tell consumers they don't need it, and they'll still buy it. After all it's the iphone 5 - yay!
 
If it's thin enough to be used in Phones, does it also mean it's thin enough to be used in Tablets?

I hope so.

I'm fed up being treated as a second class citizen as I own a tablet and not a phone.
 
cutting these mm definitely matters because it saves space, but what will come after this? technology is just too insane nowadays.
 
I would like to see them improve the lens and speed more than megapixels... But after using a 21mp dslr, I can say that megapixels do matter (if you have good lenses).

I have also used high megapixel cameras with crappy lenses with poor results...

I hope they put a good camera on the iPhone 5 that is coming out soon.
 
mutantteenager said:
They could take the camera away completely, and tell consumers they don't need it, and they'll still buy it. After all it's the iphone 5 - yay!
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Agreed.

And you would hear the FanBoys:

I never use my cam anyways, Apple did the right thing :rolleyes:

It takes lousy pics anyway, use your digicam for photos, Apple did the right thing :rolleyes:

I agree to everything Apple does, because I'm a Zombi Apple Fanboy :eek:

They remove the mouse, I like the TrackPad.
They remove both the mouse and the pad, I'm a touch fanboy :rolleyes:
What they do, I just like - can't argue with that, can you :p
 
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