Leaked parts may show pill-shaped dual-LED flash for Apple's 'iPhone 5S'

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
With Apple's next iPhone expected to feature a dual-LED flash for better illumination in photos, a newly leaked part may show the pill-shaped design where those two flash modules will reside.

LED


Parts purporting to show the top glass portion of the back of Apple's "iPhone 5S" were published on Monday by Nowhereelse.fr. The component shows space for a camera lens, a rear-facing mic, and a larger space for LED flash, elongated from a circle to more of a pill shape.

Leaked schematics obtained by AppleInsider in June showed that the "iPhone 5S' will feature the larger window to the right of the camera lens and rear microphone, covering two LED flash components. The current iPhone 5 features a single LED flash.

Lite


While rumors of dual LED flash in the next iPhone have persisted for months, there has been no evidence in the way of hardware leaks, making the pictures published Monday more significant. An alleged "iPhone 5S" camera module shown last week had a separate LED flash component, which was not included in the leak.

In addition to doubling the flash capabilities of the camera, Apple is also rumored to upgrade the camera to a 12-megapixel sensor, offering higher quality images. There have also been claims of advanced high-dynamic range pictures and 120-frames-per-second video recording for super slow-motion capabilities.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    gazoobeegazoobee Posts: 3,754member
    I bet Steve Jobs would have made them lower the camera on the iPhone 5c a few millimetres so that it actually sat in the [I]centre[/I] of the arc formed by the body curve. :)
  • Reply 2 of 29
    I can't understand why it is important for apple to add the dual-flash.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    younc1002 wrote: »
    I can't understand why it is important for apple to add the dual-flash.

    I'm not a photographer, but lemme take a wild guess:

    Better, more powerful flash = better pictures, especially under low light.

    :smokey:
  • Reply 4 of 29
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    younc1002 wrote: »
    I can't understand why it is important for apple to add the dual-flash.

    Because someone at Apple wanted to see Samsung release a phone with 4 LEDs so they could laugh at them. "See, ours is twice as good". /s
  • Reply 5 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by younc1002 View Post



    I can't understand why it is important for apple to add the dual-flash.


     


    It's nothing fancy - it's more economical to add a second flash than make the existing one twice as bright - but it also because they're so bright, LED flashes only have two modes - off and on. By having two LEDs, there is now an in-between state (off, half, and full) allowing for better light control of photos.

  • Reply 6 of 29
    65c81665c816 Posts: 136member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    Because someone at Apple wanted to see Samsung release a phone with 4 LEDs so they could laugh at them. "See, ours is twice as good". /s


    in a star shaped configuration, one at each corner of the camera! :)

  • Reply 7 of 29
    dralmdralm Posts: 1member


    Cheap Apple iPhone dubbed as iPhone 5C confirmed!!! http://t.co/n03yhH1M9m

  • Reply 8 of 29
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Is it for red eye reduction?
  • Reply 9 of 29
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member


    They could always be two different colors as well.  I forget where I read that a dual flash with varying colors helps with color reproduction.  Or did I dream that?

  • Reply 10 of 29
    applguyapplguy Posts: 235member
    gazoobee wrote: »
    I bet Steve Jobs would have made them lower the camera on the iPhone 5c a few millimetres so that it actually sat in the centre of the arc formed by the body curve. :)

    Possibly, but placing it further towards the top allows more room for other components and a larger battery.
  • Reply 11 of 29
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    It's nothing fancy - it's more economical to add a second flash than make the existing one twice as bright - but it also because they're so bright, LED flashes only have two modes - off and on. By having two LEDs, there is now an in-between state (off, half, and full) allowing for better light control of photos.

    That's not really an issue. They can control the amount of light via duration of the flash - which would give almost the same amount of control.
  • Reply 12 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by younc1002 View Post



    I can't understand why it is important for apple to add the dual-flash.


     


    I forget where, but here or 9to5 there was a post that the second flash was amber in color, which will be a huge help in low light as a flash can be harsh (the reason we use defusers). A trick for photographers is to use a candle that gives a nice warm glow much like you would as the sun is setting (best time to take portraits). If true, you can add more overall light while being able to adjust the color depending on needs. 


     


    Example:


    In very good light (outdoors), I will use a flash to fill in the shadows. Here, you would use the standard flash (stopped down 1.5 - 2 stops).


     


    In very low light (at night, blowing out birthday candles, etc.) you need more light, but as you all have seen, that can be very harsh with reflections off the skin that make horrible exposures. Adding amber light will resolve this greatly. 


     


    Now we just need an external bluetooth flash and mic. 

  • Reply 13 of 29


    I'm sure they have tested this extensively, but I would have placed the flash a bit further from the lens.


     


    I might also have made it horizontal and convex so that more light would spill to the left and right of the subject, giving more overall light instead of a flashlight look when shooting closeups. Perhaps a bit wider then as well, by 50%. 

  • Reply 14 of 29
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,385member
    OMG, Stop the presses. A pill shaped flash!!!

    Really? An entire story dedicated to a little LED light?
  • Reply 15 of 29

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by drblank View Post



    OMG, Stop the presses. A pill shaped flash!!!



    Really? An entire story dedicated to a little LED light?


     


    Yet, important enough for you to read and comment on :) 

  • Reply 16 of 29
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    Why all the hoopla over a dual-LED flash? Other phone manufacturers (Nokia in particular) have been using this layout for years. The 5S internals are of much more importance - A7, IGZO and a truly universal 4G radio hopefully.

    PS. About the rumours of a gold coloured 5S. If true I reckon the colour comes from a titanium nitride coating that gives a level of scratch resistance to the phones body (a bit of a bugbear with the aluminium bodied iPhone 5) the black/slate version of the upcoming 5S might have a PVD or CLD coating for similar scratch resistance...just a theory - we'll see in a month!
  • Reply 17 of 29
    ruel24ruel24 Posts: 432member


    A full couple of years after Android phones have had them... This is innovation? Seriously? Apple has had the finest camera of any phone, yet they've lagged in this technology for years, now. I just feel that more and more Apple is trading on their name more than their innovation. Cook just isn't the CEO for Apple, IMO. Apple needs a product guy, not a finance guy, to run the company. I know, I know... You Apple devoted will make any excuse up to justify his presence, as if he's the best CEO out there, but he isn't.

  • Reply 18 of 29
    unicronunicron Posts: 154member
    Is it possible that there's one LED flash and one Xenon strobe?
  • Reply 19 of 29

    Quote:


    a newly leaked part may show the pill-shaped design where those two flash modules will reside



     


    "pill-shaped" means nothing. Pills come in many shapes and sizes, although the basic definition seems to be "a small round mass of solid medicine".  Emphasis on ROUND.  So why not say it's a round design?  Unless it isn't.  So what is the shape?  What kind of pills is the author taking?


     


    Perhaps it's just a matter of vocabulary, rather than lazy writing.... The shape appears oval in the photos.  Other synonyms include ovoid, ovate, oviform, and elliptical.

  • Reply 20 of 29
    "LED flashes only have two modes - off and on"

    Wrong. There are tons of apps and actual LED flashlights with intensity control
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