iPhone cameras could soon rival human vision, new Apple patent reveals

Dubai: Apple may be working on a custom image sensor for future iPhones that could push mobile photography to a level previously thought impossible—matching, or at least nearing, the dynamic range of the human eye.

According to reports from MacRumors and a Weibo-based leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital," the company is said to be developing an in-house image sensor with performance benchmarks far beyond current smartphone technology.

Last month, Apple filed a U.S. patent titled “Image Sensor With Stacked Pixels Having High Dynamic Range And Low Noise.” The filing details a new sensor design capable of achieving up to 20 stops of dynamic range—a significant leap compared to today’s mobile sensors.

In photography, “stops” refer to the amount of light a camera sensor can capture. A higher number of stops means greater dynamic range—essentially how well the camera can capture both shadows and highlights in the same frame. While full-frame professional cameras typically reach 13–14 stops, most smartphones manage between 10 and 13 stops.

By comparison, the human eye perceives approximately 20 to 30 stops of dynamic range, depending on pupil adaptation and light processing over time. Apple’s proposed sensor, if realized, would bring iPhone imaging closer to this biological benchmark—and even surpass high-end cinema cameras like the ARRI ALEXA 35 in dynamic range.

Apple’s patent describes a stacked architecture comprising two main layers:

Among the key innovations is a component known as the Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor (LOFIC). This enables each pixel to store varying amounts of light depending on brightness levels, allowing the sensor to preserve detail in high-contrast scenes—like a person standing in front of a sunlit window—without losing highlights or shadows.

Another major upgrade focuses on real-time noise suppression. Each pixel reportedly contains a built-in memory circuit that actively cancels heat-related electronic noise before the image is processed or compressed. This on-chip noise reduction would significantly improve clarity, especially in low-light conditions.

While patent filings don’t always indicate active development, the Weibo leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" claims Apple has already built prototype versions of the sensor and is testing them in internal hardware. This could signal the beginning of a shift away from third-party components.

Currently, Apple relies on Sony image sensors across its iPhone lineup. Those also feature a stacked design, but Apple’s proposed architecture includes original engineering and is reportedly more compact.

Transitioning to an in-house sensor would echo Apple’s broader strategy of internalizing key technologies, as it has done with chips (Intel to M-series) and modems (Qualcomm to in-house designs). Full control over the camera hardware and image pipeline would give Apple tighter integration across hardware, software, and processing.

If Apple brings this sensor to market in future iPhones, the impact could be profound:

And crucially, it would mark the first time a mobile camera approaches human-eye level visual fidelity—something long pursued by the imaging industry.