Following on from reports that the next iPhone may work underwater, a newly-published patent application reveals that Apple is working on a radical new camera designed specifically for improving the quality of underwater photos.
This new design, published earlier this month, isn’t simply designed to make a standard camera work deeper underwater, it also details several advanced methods to ensure that the camera can take great-looking photos when submerged.
Underwater photography presents different challenges to shooting above ground, not least because of the very different optical properties of water and air. Natural bodies of water also tend to become murky at depths.
New hardware for improved quality
Apple’s “submersible electronic device”, as the patent calls it, uses multiple specialized sensors to detect underwater conditions and feed input into control circuitry which will then adjust parameters, such as contrast and color balance, appropriately.
These sensors include a color ambient light sensor, able to measure ambient lighting conditions above and below water, and a depth sensor, not in the sense of subject distance from the camera, but one which determines at what depth below the surface a photo is being taken.
The camera may also be fitted with a light source which can be used in conjunction with a sensor to measure light “backscatter” as a means of determining the murkiness of the water.
The camera would then use this information to create a light absorption spectrum for the water which would be combined with other information, such as the subject’s distance and angle, to correctly color balance the image.
Color reproduction can be further improved by using a red-colored light source to compensate for the greenish color cast which often occurs when shooting underwater.
Sinking to new depths
Apple’s use of a smartphone in its patent diagrams strongly hints at a future iPhone with underwater photography capabilities, but the application covers all bases by extending the scope to cover various other devices such as watches, headphones and smart glasses.
Current iPhones are usable to depths of 6.5 feet for a maximum of 30 minutes, but the patent application makes mention of much greater depths of over 160 feet. This would be around five times as deep as the current GoPro Hero7 Black is designed to operate.
While there’s no suggestion of any plans to make iPhones work at such great depths, it’s good to see Apple at least considering the possibility of such a device in the future.
___
More From Me On Forbes
Google Photos Will Now Automatically Detect Your Documents
Huawei P30 Pro Camera Is Frustratingly Brilliant
How Android Q Will Boost Smartphone Cameras
P30 Pro Camera: Huawei Should Have Known Better Than To Post These Images
