Submitted by Frank Macey on
Reports indicate Apple is poised to offer significant upgrades to the next generation iPhone camera. The iPhone 6s is expected to launch this fall, packing hardware and software upgrades into the same form factor as the existing iPhone 6. Mobile photography is clearly a priority for Apple considering the award winning "Shot on iPhone 6" campaign that has swept the globe. Camera upgrades have always been highlights of Apple keynote presentations, even when the change does not involve increasing the number of megapixels. This is all set to change according to documents leaked on Chinese site Weibo.
iPhone 6s photographers could be in for a treat, as the leaks detail 4K video recording and a 12 megapixel back iSight camera. This is a significant increase from the current iPhone 6 camera, which features an 8 megapixel camera and 1080p HD video. Apparently the iPhone 6s may also be capable of recording 4K video at 240 frames per second, achieving the same level of slow motion currently found in the iPhone 6 camera at 720p HD. Not only this, but the front facing "selfie" or FaceTime camera will be upgraded to 5 megapixels. This increases the resolution of the FaceTime camera by 3.8 megapixels over the current model.
4K resolution boosts the number of horizontal video pixels roughly 4 times higher than 1080p HD. Both YouTube and Vimeo currently allow 4K uploads (maximum 4096 x 3072 pixels). Should the iPhone 6s launch with 4K video capabilities, it's possible Apple will also explore larger storage capacities in the upcoming hardware configuration.
Other rumored upgrades include the addition of Force Touch technology, doubled RAM capacity, and a slightly thicker case. A new color is also expected, with sources pointing towards a rose gold iPhone 6s approximating the color of the rose gold Apple Watch.