According to supply chain whispers out of China, Apple is evaluating the potential use of multispectral imaging for future generations of its flagship iPhones, MacRumors reports.
If developed, this technology could give future iPhones a new kind of visual awareness by capturing light beyond the usual red green and blue spectrum.
Multispectral imaging differs from conventional smartphone photography by gathering data from a wider range of wavelengths, including near-infrared bands that standard sensors typically ignore. Conventional cameras rely only on the visible portion of light, but multispectral systems record information from multiple narrow spectral ranges.
One likely benefit of this approach would be more accurate distinction between objects and surfaces. For example, the camera might differentiate more effectively between skin fabric foliage or shiny metal when composing a photo or determining focus. This could improve portrait edges and enhance subject separation in crowded scenes, especially in tricky lighting conditions.
Currently Apple’s reported work on multispectral imaging remains in an early stage. The reports indicate the company is simply assessing parts related to this capability in the supply chain rather than building full camera prototypes. That suggests the technology may be years away from making a commercial debut if it ever reaches that point.
Another part of the rumor thread points to improvements in other camera hardware on near-term iPhone models. Supply chain chatter also mentions that next generation Pro-level devices will include a variable aperture on the main camera lens and a larger aperture telephoto unit to boost low light performance and depth of field control. At the same time a leap to extremely high resolution sensors such as 200 megapixels has been discussed in some investor notes.
Analysts welcome the idea of multispectral imaging for smartphones but note it is not a trivial upgrade. The kind of sensor architecture required is more complicated than current RGB-based modules, and the processing demands on Apple’s custom silicon would be considerable.
Nonetheless, adding multispectral capabilities could help Apple differentiate its imaging pipeline even further if the company eventually commits to bringing this research from the lab into future iPhone hardware.
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