“An Apple patent published on Tuesday details a miniaturized iPhone camera system that employs a light-splitting cube to parse incoming rays into three color components, each of which are captured by separate sensors,” Mikey Campbell reports for AppleInsider.
“Apple’s design uses light splitting techniques similar to those applied in current optics packages marketed by Canon, Panasonic, Philips and other big-name players in the camera space,” Campbell reports. “For its splitter assembly, Apple uses a cube arrangement constructed using four identical polyhedrons that meet at dichroic interfaces.”
“It is unclear if Apple intends to implement a light splitter into a future product, though the company is working hard to keep iPhone at the fore of ultra-mobile photography,” Campbell reports. “For example, the latest iPhone 6 Plus includes an OIS system that produces sharp images even in low-light situations.”
Read more, and see Apple’s patent application illustrations, in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple currently makes the best smartphone camera in the world (iPhone 6 Plus) and, it looks like, they’re hell bent on keeping that crown for the foreseeable future.
With their patents and optical experts, it’s fun to imagine what Apple could come up with if they decided to make a standalone camera freed from the company’s pathological, and sometimes self-defeating, desire for thinness.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Apple patent application reveals revolutionary new iPhone camera – February 18, 2015
iPhone 6s leak reveals radical new camera – January 14, 2015
iPhone 6s to feature new dual-lens camera and Apple Watch’s ‘Force Touch’ pressure sensor, sources say – January 13, 2015
“self-defeating, desire for thinness.”
Spoken like a true American 😃
Ah, the smell of French roast in the morning.
/s
Good take, MDN. If they were to add a couple mm for more battery, I think we’d all be okay with that. Oh, and it improves the camera? Cool!
Please do, Apple.
I love the thiness of the iphone ! And the resulting lightness !
Rather see more effort put on battery the technology than iphone made thicker !