Posts tagged with "camera"

iPhone 5 Reaches Final Testing Stage, Launching In September

Several rumors in the past months indicated that Apple wasn’t ready to launch a new iPhone model this summer, and the WWDC confirmed speculation of Apple focusing on software (with iOS 5, Lion, and iCloud) to save the next-generation iPhone for a Fall launch. We’ve already discussed why this would make sense for a number of reasons. 9to5mac is now reporting the new iPhone has reached the final “AP” testing stage, and is being carried around by high-level Apple executives. Apple is apparently also working on a deal with Verizon to launch FaceTime over 3G, something that was spotted in the first beta of iOS 5 and suggested the company was playing around with settings to enable video chat on mobile operators by the end of the year.

Although this has been assumed since the no-iPhone-at-WWDC-rumors broke, the current plan is for a September launch for the next-generation iPhone.

Apple and Verizon have yet to strike a deal regarding FaceTime over 3G for the Verizon network. Keep in mind that 3G and 4G aren’t the same thing. < Don’t read into that too much. Or maybe do.

The website has also done a little digging into the iOS 5 SDK and discovered codenames for two unreleased iPhone devices, N93 and N94. The current-gen iPhone was codenamed N90 and N92 for the GSM and CDMA variations, respectively. Considering rumors of worldphone capabilities that are floating, it’s not clear why would Apple have two different iPhone models in the works, unless one of them is destined to another US carrier like T-Mobile or Sprint, as recent speculation claimed. However, it seems very clear at this point that the device will feature minor hardware changes and the same industrial design of the iPhone 4, with 9to5mac also claiming that the iPhone 5 could have the same 5 MP camera of the current generation as code strings in the SDK point out. The iPhone 5 was rumored to be set for an 8 MP upgrade from either OmniVision or Sony, though a report from last week also said Largan Precision had been contacted to provide 8 MP sensors for the next-generation iPhone.

iOS 5 To Feature Panoramic Camera Option?

According to some code strings posted by 9to5mac and found in the first beta version of iOS 5, Apple may soon introduce a panoramic camera functionality to go alongside the photo editing enhancements announced at the WWDC keynote. As detailed by Scott Forstall on stage, iOS 5 will bring the possibility to crop, rotate and auto-enhance images from the native Photos app – these features won’t be available on the iPhone 3GS, but they represent a great addition for iPhone 4 users that won’t need to purchase additional basic photo-editing apps anymore. With red-eye reduction and Photo Stream compatibility, Apple touts the new Photos app as the best way to take photos on an iPhone, and send them to an iPad for a quick touch-up. However, as the code discovered suggests, there may be more coming in future betas.

There’s a variety of “pano” photo apps available in the App Store, some of them like Occipital’s 360 Panorama and Pano we reviewed on MacStories before. These apps allow you to take photos of what’s around you to build a panoramic, zoomable representation that “stitches” the various images you’ve taken together in a single file.

The code found in iOS 5 beta doesn’t suggest much, except that Apple has been thinking about a menu to “take” and “save” a panorama. These strings are usually a good indication of new features to come in iOS 5 – in January, iOS 4.3 beta code confirmed that Photo Booth camera effects would be implemented sooner or later, and indeed the iPad 2 (released in March) sported a native Photo Booth app on its custom 4.3 version.

OmniVision and Sony to Supply 8-Megapixel Camera for iPhone 5

According to a new report from Digitimes, camera image sensor supplier OmniVision has won “significant orders” for Apple’s next-generation iPhone, set to debut later this year. Whilst OmniVision has been the selected supplier for image sensors in previous generation iPhones, iPods and iPads, surprisingly enough Digitimes claims 90% of orders will be supplied by OmniVision, with Sony shipping another 10% of units.

OmniVision has grabbed a majority of total CMOS image sensor (CIS) orders placed by Apple for the fifth-generation iPhone, market sources have claimed. Meanwhile, power amplifier (PA) supplier Avago Technologies has landed orders for the WCDMA version of the device for its first time, according to the sources.

About 90% of the CIS orders for Apple’s new iPhone will be supplied by OmniVision, while Sony takes up the remainder, the sources said. The upcoming device will feature a built-in 8-megapixel camera, the sources added.

Speculation about the iPhone 5’s camera in the past months arose to a new level when a rumor claimed Sony would be the only supplier for the device’s camera. With other reports claiming the statement from Sony CEO Howard Stinger were largely a misunderstanding or inventions from bloggers, it wasn’t clear why Apple would choose Sony over the long-time partner OmniVision, which in the meantime announced a variety of new sensors including improved 5 MP, 8 MP and 10 MP ones, some of them with 1080p capabilities.

A few weeks ago, alleged iPhone 5 parts surfaced showing a different camera flash position and thus re-igniting speculation about a different camera module in the iPhone 5, rumored to be a “minor” hardware refresh.

The i9 - A Hybrid iPhone / Leica Concept

Black Design Associates, LLC, an Los Angeles-based consultancy, revealed a concept for a hybrid iPhone / Leica called the i9. It’s a 12.1 megapixel, 8x zoom, fully featured iPhone 4 accessory. Before you break out your credit card, remember this is only a concept.

The i9 has a camera/iPhone toggle that turns on your camera with an instant start-up time of 0.3sec., while simultaneously loading the Leica app on your iPhone 4. A zoom/volume control adjusts tight and wide when your camera is on, and adjusts volume up and down when your camera is off. Dedicated aperture and shutter dials offer fast and easy options for manual operation. Pass-through and actuators give you full access to your iPhone 4 controls and headphone jack. The flash and light meter offers higher quality photos and videos in low-light conditions.

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Photo Shows Alleged iPhone 5 Back Part

As noted by MacRumors, Taiwanese website Apple.pro – a usually reliable source of Apple information and product leaks – posted today [Google Translation] what they claim to be the back part of the next-generation iPhone. The iPhone 5 back panel is shown in white, with two different holes for the camera lens and flash as previous speculation and case design suggested. A rough Google Translation seems to suggest that Apple.pro can’t confirm the authenticity of the picture though:

SHOW pictures out of the back cover a picture of white iPhone

camera with flash, but the difference with iPhone4

Is separated

Of course now I can not verify the authenticity of this picture

But frankly, I personally think this picture should be PS Follow the following chart last week, I do

Authenticity of unknown origin

The first case design indicating the iPhone 5 would get separated camera lens and flash holes was then pulled from the e-commerce website it appeared on. Another report from Apple.pro the same week re-confirmed the rumor of a distinct camera flash showing different components for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5. The next-generation iPhone is rumored to be a minor refresh of the existing iPhone line with speedier processor, better cameras and more RAM, though some recent rumors also pointed at Apple working on a major update for the device featuring a bigger edge-to-edge screen, dramatically thinner design and NFC capabilities.

OmniVision Introduces 5 MP Sensor With 1080p Video Recording

Earlier this morning we reported on some rumors from DigiTimes regarding the production timeline of the upcoming iPhone 4S and rumoured components that it would include. In their report, DigiTimes claimed that it would contain an 8 MP camera from OmniVision Technologies, and to some degree it makes sense. Sony’s CEO in April made a fleeting comment suggesting that it would be supplying Apple with an 8MP camera for the next iPhone. However, those same comments were later suggested to have been largely “invented” by bloggers attending the event.

OmniVision today introduced a new 5MP image sensor, the OV5690, that was developed to produce the “best-in-class image quality” whilst being an effective solution for slimmer mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers by reducing the size of the camera module. With contradicting reports on whether the next iPhone will contain a 5 MP camera or an 8 MP camera, this new product certainly lends weight to the suggestion that it could have a 5 MP camera. In recent times Apple has been ferocious in crafting its devices to be as thin and light as possible, and this latest component by OmniVision could enable Apple to deliver on that goal with improved image quality (and 1080p video recording at 30 fps) whilst fitting into a smaller package.

With industry sources placing 5-megapixel CMOS image sensors at more than 15 percent of the overall sensor market today, we view 5-megapixel sensors as occupying as a sweet spot in the market. (Emphasis Added)

The iPhone 4 currently sports an older OmniVision camera component that is also 5 MP but only records video in 720p. Apple may well choose to stick with OmniVision and deliver a slightly improved camera in its next iPhone – which may be in line with reports of just small, evolutionary, improvements for the next iPhone. Although interestingly, OmniVision also revealed in early January that it had introduced a 10MP camera sensor that would similarly enable 1080p video recording at 30fps.

Instagram 1.7 Released, Brings New Profile View

While we’re still playing with Carousel and looking at its beautiful interface for the Mac, Instagram – the official app – has received a majore update on the iPhone that reaches version 1.7 and adds a number of new features, alongside the omnipresent speed improvements and stability enhancements (for older phones this time). Instagram 1.7 brings custom notifications for likes and comments – in the Edit Profile screen, you can specify whether you want to receive notifications from everyone, people you follow, or simply turn them off. This is a welcome addition if you were being annoyed by continuous notifications and badges. In the same screen, you can now add a Bio to display on your public profile. And profiles have gotten a brand new grid view as well, which makes it easy to check out photos at a glance on profiles that have hundreds, if not thousands, of uploads.

Instagram 1.7 is available now in the App Store.

iPhone 5 Parts Confirm New Camera Flash Position?

Following this morning’s purported case design for the “iPhone 5G” that seemed to suggest the next-generation device would relocate the rear-facing camera flash to opposite side of the lens, 9to5mac points to leaked iPhone 5 parts posted by well-sourced website Apple.Pro [Google Translation] which indeed show a rear camera lens with no Flash attached.

The alleged parts, posted alongside old iPhone 4 camera components, show a redesigned internal front-facing lens, as well as a different rear-facing module lacking the flash part found on the iPhone 4. While it’s impossible to tell any improvements on the cameras from these photos alone, Apple.pro does seem to confirm today’s “crystal case” for the iPhone 5 with a relocated camera flash on the back panel.

Apple.pro also posted a mockup of what the iPhone 5 with a different camera flash would look like:

Photo of Clipless Next-Gen iPod Nano with 1.3 MP Camera Surfaces

MacRumors points to a photo posted by Taiwanese website Apple.pro [Google Translation] of what they claim to be a seventh generation iPod nano featuring a 1.3 megapixel rear camera. The website, often a reliable source of Apple rumors and product leaks, posted a similar picture of the iPod nano’s case back in early April, but the photo detailed the internals of the device showing a hole for the alleged camera, failing to explain,however, how the camera would be placed externally considering the clip Apple places on the iPod nano’s back. Today’s photo seems to confirm previous speculation that, in order to make room for the camera, Apple would have to ditch the clip entirely, although it doesn’t make much sense considering Apple has been heavily touting the iPod nano as a sport accessory that can easily clip to your shirt or trousers – it’d be a curious choice for the company to revert to a clipless design to make room for a camera on such a small screen.

It’s unclear whether this new photo belongs to an iPod nano prototype Apple has been testing, or the final version of the next-generation model as Apple.pro claims. A 1.3MP lens would make for some decent photography on the nano’s screen, and indeed previous generation models featured a camera for shooting flicks and applying effects – although on a bigger screen and different case design. Since its introduction last year the 6th generation iPod nano has become an incredibly popular accessory thanks to the inclusion of a clip by default, and it’ll be interesting to see if Apple is really going to change the design for a rear camera. An announcement will likely be made in September at Apple’s usual music event, leaving plenty of room to speculation and rumors in the next months.