14 DAY TRIAL // iPhones can already be used to take photos underwater, and the new generations come with IP68 ratings that allow owners to submerge their devices in water without any risk of damage.
And by the looks of things, the IP68 rating might be just one of the steps that Apple has in mind when it comes to the experience you can have with an iPhone… well… underwater.
Because yes, the Cupertino-based tech giant might be looking into ways to improve the quality of photos taken with an iPhone when swimming, as explained in a recent patent application.
Technically, what Apple wants to do is equip the iPhone with an army of sensors that would be in charge of determining the right settings for taking better pictures underwater. As per CultOfMac, the iPhone’s sensors could measure the amount of light in the water, the color shifts, depth, pressure, and distance from the subject.
In other words, if you want to take a picture of a fish, for example, the iPhone should now correctly determine the settings it needs for the photo, all based on an algorithm that collects information from all these sensors.
Just a patent application for now
The abstract section of the application provides a closer look at the implementation that Apple might have in mind if it’s indeed granted the patent:
“A submersible electronic device such as a waterproof cellular telephone may be provided with an image sensor. The image sensor may capture images of underwater objects. Control circuitry in the submersible electronic device may adjust image contrast and color balance based on information from sensors and other information.
The electronic device may have an ambient light sensor. The ambient light sensor may be a color ambient light sensor and may be used in measuring ambient lighting conditions above water and underwater. A depth sensor may be used in measuring the depth of the image sensor and other components of the electronic device underwater. Information on the depth of the image sensor, information on the distance of an underwater object to the image sensor, and angular orientation information for the electronic device and image sensor may be used in color balancing an image.”
As with any patent, this is by no mean a confirmation that a certain technology is heading to mass production, but at least it provides us with a glimpse into Apple’s vision regarding future iPhone camera capabilities.