14 DAY TRIAL // Apple partner Largan Precision saw its shares take a dive yesterday on rumors that the iPhone 6 will not be using its high-resolution 13/16 MP imaging sensors and will instead rely upon the same 8MP sensor currently employed in iPhone 5s.
Citing a tip from Nomura Securities, The China Post reports that “Largan's recently lagging performance in the market is caused by rumors that Apple may adopt an 8 mega-pixel (MP) camera with improved optical image stabilization on its upcoming handset, instead of the 16 MP upgrade anticipated by industry observers.”
Instead of increasing the pixel count in the imaging sensor, Apple will rely on advanced optics and improved aperture size to enable the iPhone 6 to take marginally better pictures.
In other words, future iPhone 6 buyers shouldn’t expect a big upgrade in the photography department. The scenario is similar to last year’s upgrade, when the iPhone 5s retained the 8-megapixel sensor from the iPhone 5, adding only some minor adjustments in optics.
According to the report, “Apple's decision is based on the design requirement to retain the handset's more portable form factor,” the same Nomura Securities indicated.
Apple reportedly wants to achieve an ultra-thin design with this year’s iPhone refresh, one that will blow competition out of the water.
Getting a high-resolution imaging sensor inside a six-millimeter (0.236-inche) chassis is difficult, to say the least.
However, while Largan may have lost some points in stock trading, the company can still breathe a sigh of relief knowing it is among the few capable of meeting Apple’s requirements.
Nomura Securities allegedly added that “The production of smaller-factored camera modules would require significantly improved optical aperture and resolution attributes, which are the company's competitive strengths.”
According to a recent report, Apple is said to have signed with Pegatron for half of the iPhone 6 manufacturing orders, for which the latter is reportedly building an all-new assembly factory.