iPhone 8 Could Boast a ‘Super Resolution’ Multi-Sensor Camera Unit, According to Apple’s Latest Patent Filing

You may be thoroughly enjoying some valuable “me” time with your shiny new iPhone 7 this morning — and that’s all roses and unicorns, by any standard. But up in the mysterious higher echelons of Apple’s 1 Infinite Loop Headquarters, a team of experts are just now gathering around the table for a full day of brainstorming ahead of them — as they gear up to toss ideas about the future of Apple’s iPhone around like a mess of hot potatoes.

Although the iPhone 7 may have just hit store shelves less than a month ago, Apple is already hard at work — whether by patenting advanced new technologies, establishing deeper connections in its vast supply chain, or delivering finished products that captivate the minds of millions around the globe, year-after-year — you can always assure yourself that, come hell or high water, Apple is more than likely on the move today.

Well, hold on to your socks, because if the latest set of patents that were granted to Apple earlier this week pan out to see the light of day, then all of you iPhone camera fanatics and photographers are in for a treat.

According to PatentlyApple, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple U.S. Patent No. 9,456,221 earlier this week, which is described in the official filing as “a digital camera with a light splitter cube that receives incident light from a camera scene.” What the advanced module will do, apparently, is process the varying elements of light colors, by breaking them down and assorting them into different, compartmentalized “light bubbles” which, in turn, filter through the hardware lenses.

In addition, Apple was granted a patent being described as “a miniature camera’s super resolution for plural image sensor arrangements,” also known as U.S. Patent No. 9,467,666.

According to PatentlyApple, the Cupertino-company in its patent filing is detailing a way in which it would employ these aforementioned “color-splitting bubbles” to render images in crisper, higher resolutions.

Insofar as to how the Cupertino-company will employ these freshly patented, advanced imaging technologies into future iPhones? Well, it’s very possible — but by no means guaranteed, of course — that we could see a future of iPhones toting much smaller, more seemingly discreet, yet inherently much, much more powerful imaging hardware.

AppleInsider also pointed out how future iPhones would likely feature a “folded” camera lens, citing how such a set up would save tons of extra space, internally, while at the same time, giving the user a larger depth of field to zoom in on when capturing their best shots.

Now that we know the 2017 iPhone will more than likely be dubbed the iPhone 8, it’s quite exciting to begin seeing some more intricate details about this allegedly ‘groundbreaking’ device trickle in, is it not?

What do you think about a future iPhone featuring these advanced imaging capabilities? Let us know in the comments!

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]