Apple patent bid hints at changeable iPhone lens

More American adults now own smartphones than basic mobile phones, according to a recent survey
A US patent application made public on Thursday hinted that Apple may be toying with the idea of letting picture-loving iPhone users change lenses for the smartphone cameras.

A US patent application made public on Thursday hinted that Apple may be toying with the idea of letting picture-loving iPhone users change lenses for the smartphone cameras.

Apple's application for a "back panel for a portable electronic device with different camera lens options" included a diagram reminiscent of an opened with labeled parts.

The application described a design to let users change lenses that typically are fixed in the backs of smartphones to act as eyes for cameras.

"It would be desirable to provide a structure for a compact device that allows the end user to reconfigure the optical arrangement of the device while retaining the benefits of assembling the device using a pre-assembled digital imaging subsystem," said a copy of the patent application available online.

(c) 2012 AFP

Citation: Apple patent bid hints at changeable iPhone lens (2012, June 15) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2012-06-apple-patent-hints-changeable-iphone.html
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