Apple is reportedly developing its own camera sensor with LOFIC technology, capable of achieving a dynamic range of up to 20 stops, which promises a significant improvement in the quality of photos and videos. According to Chinese insider Fixed Focus Digital, the company has already passed the patenting stage and can now test a working prototype of the sensor in laboratory conditions. This is reported by WccfTech.
The design is based on a special CMOS matrix with LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor) technology, which allows each pixel to effectively manage light and preserve details in both bright and deep shadows, providing up to 20 stops of dynamic range – an indicator approaching professional cinema cameras. For comparison, modern iPhones support approximately 12-14 stops of HDR.
The new sensor is expected to reduce the amount of post-processing, particularly in low-light shooting, by reducing pixel-level noise before the computer processing stage. This could provide clearer photos and videos without the blur that can appear after processing by software algorithms.
The development of this sensor is part of Apple's strategy to reduce its reliance on third-party manufacturers such as Sony. Creating its own sensor will give the company more control over the integration of hardware and software. A similar approach is already used in the production of processors for iPhones and Macs, as well as modems – for example, in the iPhone 16e model.
Most likely, the new LOFIC sensor will not be used in the iPhone 17 series, but its implementation may begin with the iPhone 18. In addition to smartphones, the technology can potentially be applied in mixed reality devices, in particular Apple Vision.