Last week we reported on a strange teething problem that iPhone 5 users were experiencing when using the camera. With a bright light anywhere near the frame, a strange purple haze was making its way into many photos. We thought it might be a manufacturing issue, but Apple has responded and has different ideas.
A reader of Gizmodo wrote in to Apple to complain about the issue, and to his shock and surprise, was told that the issue was perfectly normal. The official line from one of Apple’s AppleCare representatives is;
“Dear Matt, our engineering team just gave me this information and we recommend that you angle the camera away from the bright light source when taking pictures. The purple flare in the image provided is considered normal behaviour for the iPhone 5’s camera.”
The idea of the camera’s new sapphire lens cover causing the purple flare is becoming adopted by many iPhone 5 users and general tech heads, and it certainly makes sense to us. It seems that an excess burst of light can hit the lens and cause the purple glow as a distortion of light.
On the other hand, some iPhone 5 users have reported that Apple has been happy to exchange their phones due to the issue, so perhaps Apple doesn’t really have a hard line on this.
Via: Apple Insider
Original Article
The iPhone 5 experienced a very successful launch, and despite Apple running out of stock, it sold over 5 million handsets. Asides from the backlash of Apple Maps, we’ve not heard of many teething problems for the sixth generation smartphone.
There has of course been scratchgate, where users have noticed that the metal back panel of the phone is very prone to dings and scratches, and a couple of very minor software glitches.
However, an issue with the iPhone 5’s camera is slowly becoming more and more common. Users are reporting a strange purple-coloured haze appearing at random across images taken with the 8-megapixel rear camera.
The issue appears to be prominent in images where a bright light is near the scene being shot. The light is cast across the image in a strange purple haze, and seems to be caused by anything from sunlight to an overhead room light.
We’ve come across this issue previously on older iPhones, but from reading user forums it seems that it’s become more apparent in the new model. Nobody really knows what is causing the issue, and whether it’s a fault or if it’s just how the sensor handles very bright light.
The issue is easily avoidable by simply reframing your snap or even blocking out the light. We’ve tried to recreate the issue with our iPhone 5 and haven’t managed to just yet, but we’ll keep trying in an attempt to figure out exactly what conditions cause the problem.
In the meantime, let us know if you’ve been experiencing this issue with your iPhone 5 on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
Via: PocketNow
Source: AnandTech Forums