iPhone 4gen to get LED Flash Camera?

Friday, January 8, 2010

4g iPhone prototype by gizmodo

About time, say most, if not all, iPhone owners. Reports are coming from the AppleInsider that Apple is ordering millions of LED flash components to give the new generation iPhones lighting capabilities for still images and video, and a 5 megapixel camera. These flashy phones are rumored to be released around June of this year. It would be high time for Apple to bring this feature to the iPhone given the fact that the Pre, the Droid and the new Nexus One all ship with the coveted LED flash with the two Google phones possessing 5 megapixel capabilities. The LED flash could be used as a flash, a continuous light for video or as a flashlight. Current flashlight apps leave much to be desired, not to mention the inability of the iPhone to illuminate videos of your crazy friends and their party antics.

Reports are Philips’ Lumileds Lighting sector is believed to be the front-runner for Apple’s business and may have already secured the design win. The Amsterdam-based firm is well-regarded for its LUXEON LED camera flash technology, which was the first to combine the brightness of regular lighting with the long life and small footprint of LEDs, perfectly suited to mobile technology.

appleinsider

Comments are predictably mixed. Some are rejoicing, having had to deal with the iPhone’s pathetic attempts at photos in low light. Others are cautioning that battery life may take a beating as a result of these upgrades. Still others, the camera purists, are claiming that a 5 megapixel camera with an LED flash would not provide proper colour saturation, etc, etc. People would do well to remember the iPhone is primarily a phone, with a convenient computer and camera built in! And look at the mockup by Gizmodo above, see the front facing camera? Just a pie in the sky dream at this point, but two way video calling may become a reality with the new 4g iPhone. Why not dream big?

This is an iPhone 4G article by the App Machine

iPhone 4gen to get LED Flash Camera?