six-gen iPhone

Sixth-Gen iPhone May Get Full HD Resolution Front Camera, Slim To 7.9mm

Posted by CharlesMoore on Friday Jun 8, 2012

Another financial analyst has weighed in with next iPhone prognostications, this time regarding the cameras.
Appleinsider’s Josh Ong reports that KGI analyst Mingchi Kuo writes in a note to investors earlier this week that Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone may include a full HD resolution capable front-facing camera whose location position would be moved to the middle of the handset, along with “quite a few essential adjustments,” but doesn’t expect Apple to increase the new iPhone’s battery capacity.
Kuo is cited observing that a HD resolution camera would be a better match for the next-gen iPhone’s widely rumored 4-inch display with a more extreme (taller/wider) aspect ratio. WallStreetCheat Sheet’s Aabha Rathee reports that Kuo expects the new iPhone to have a screen measuring 4.08 inches diagonally with a resolution of 1,136 x 640 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9, arguing that a taller but not wider screen help minimize app redevelopment costs, while the 16:9 resolution will offer more viewing space while typing in portrait mode.
However, Kuo reportedly thinks Apple will likely opt to stand pat with the iPhone 4S’s current 8-megapixel rear-facing camera’s resolution, while extending its aperture range up to f/2.2 from the iPhone 4S’s f/2.4 maximum aperture. The analyst also predicted that the rear camera on the next iPhone will be noticeably thinner, “making it the most challenging iPhone design yet.”

Ong notes that Kuo issued an earlier report in April claiming that Apple will slim down the iPhone to 7.9mm or less, which would be substantially thinner than the iPhone 4S’s 9.3mm section, with the in-cell touchscreen technology we’ve discussed here recently expected to account for shaving the new phone’s thickness by as much as 0.4mm.Once regarded as something of an afterthought mobile phone add-on feature, cellphone/smartphone cameras are now well on their way to displacing traditional point-and-shoot cameras as the consumer’s primary snapshot (and movie recording) device. Consequently, image quality capability in phones is of much greater importance than it used to be, as witnessed by Apple making 8 megapixel and 5 megapixel cameras marquee features of the iPhone 4S and new iPad respectively.

Consequently, it can be reasonably expected that smartphone/tablet camera technology will be advancing alongside computing and graphics rendering features in future development of these devices, along with hopefully greater user control over things like exposure and depth of field possible (while still keeping the default simple for those who just want no-hassle point and shoot capability) for more hands-on engaged photographers, such as the aperture range control mentioned by Mr. Kuo.