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Really looks like a camera on front of iPhone...

B

bry2k

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2007
30
1
If you look at the 360 degree QT movie of the iPhone and examine it at different angles to the light, it reeeeeally seems like that area at the bottom of the iPhone with the white square around it is a camera. It looks like a concave area under the glass. Why would that depression be there unless there is a lens there? Its visible in other pictures on the new iPhone site too, but a couple times in the 360 QTVR movie, it struck me that that has got to be a lens under there. The tech specs only mention one 2MP camera, but they also say the specs are subject to change. So...?

A couple of quick screenshots from QT movie, with levels cranked up in Photoshop.

Or is it just the face proximity sensor? Even then, doesn't it make sense that a "face proximity sensor" is likely just a CCD/camera serving two functions - 1)Sense your face, and 2) Take pictures (or iChat video!)? :D
 

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It's concave so you can distinguish pressing it since it is the home button. The sensor is in the ear portion of the phone. People don't usually bring the mouth portion to their face first, its always the ear. It's also concave so that it will be more difficult to accidently press it in your pocket.
 
you haven't been paying attention. that is the iphone's "home" button and the only button on the unit. no camera.
 
ok ok...my bad...shoot me down in flames. :(

But what if I'm right and there really is an iChat camera hidden under that home button!! :D Ah ha!!

sorry
 
actually this isn't the first time i've heard this.

it does look alot like those isight cameras. but to me its just not at a practical location...

and if it were a camera from a design standpoint do u really want it being pushed all the time?
 
Rokem said:
im sorry, I got carried away.
Click to expand...

Nah, it's cool. I knew when I hit the "post" button that I was probably going to get creamed.

But seriously...is it impossible for the home button to have a camera under it? Is it actually a physical button that you press or click? I figured the home button was just a dedicated "touch" area.

I guess finger smudging on top of an iChat lens wouldn't make much sense. Just ignore me. :eek:
 
bry2k said:
Nah, it's cool. I knew when I hit the "post" button that I was probably going to get creamed.

But seriously...is it impossible for the home button to have a camera under it? Is it actually a physical button that you press or click? I figured the home button was just a dedicated "touch" area.

I guess finger smudging on top of an iChat lens wouldn't make much sense. Just ignore me. :eek:
Click to expand...

I always thought it was a touch pad type deal, no tactile feedback. I don't think it is a camera, but I would like to add I tried smudging the iSight on my Macbook for about 10 minutes and couldn't. :eek: (So in other words, it might not be such a big deal as everyone thinks)
 
Rokem said:
im sorry, I got carried away.
Click to expand...

Aperture said:
I don't think it is a camera, but I would like to add I tried smudging the iSight on my Macbook for about 10 minutes and couldn't. :eek: (So in other words, it might not be such a big deal as everyone thinks)
Click to expand...

Funny...I tried the same thing and came to the same conclusion. And with an iSight or other typical lens that is focused on infinity, the focal point is substantially beyond the lens so little scratches, smudges, bits of dust won't really degrade the quality of the image...which is why I think I might be crazy, but not completely crazy. We'll see...
 
It's also been confirmed that it is the same dimensions as the iSights in recent MacBooks/MBPs. Very interesting.

I don't believe there will be an iSight in it, though, because they would have said something before now for such a big feature (maybe $20 in components and unknown$ in iPhoneBooth software development and network backend enhancements)...

Plus, front-facing and back-facing (dual) cameras is a feature of 3G phones, typically. I know of no 2/2.5G phones with dual cameras, but almost 100% of 3G phones have dual cameras.
 
It's a button and only a button. Move along, people... nothing to see here.
 
IR receiver? for the Apple remote, however it would have to be in landscape to play movies but it's still interesting. :D

gallery4_20070621.png


lm_altview_ipoddock.jpg
 
the last thing you need is a smudgy finger oil camera lens ...



by the way, is this home button touch sensitive?
 
Two good reasons why that is definitely NOT a camera:

1) the only purpose it would serve would be a video call type thing, a-la iChat video conference. EDGE is WAY too slow for video conferencing. At a theoretical maximum of 29 KB/sec, good luck video chatting. Also, good luck video chatting without an iChat application.

2) If the camera is on the front, how do you intend on aiming a shot? The LCD is also on the front -- you won't be able to frame the picture since the camera lens would then be on the same side as the display that shows you what you're taking a picture of.

So please, let's stop entertaining this idea. This is at least the 4th time i've read this on this board. Maybe down the line, after at least one redesign....but for launch....not a chance.
 
MBHockey said:
Two good reasons why that is definitely NOT a camera:

1) the only purpose it would serve would be a video call type thing, a-la iChat video conference. EDGE is WAY too slow for video conferencing. At a theoretical maximum of 29 KB/sec, good luck video chatting. Also, good luck video chatting without an iChat application.

2) If the camera is on the front, how do you intend on aiming a shot? The LCD is also on the front -- you won't be able to frame the picture since the camera lens would then be on the same side as the display that shows you what you're taking a picture of.

So please, let's stop entertaining this idea. This is at least the 4th time i've read this on this board. Maybe down the line, after at least one redesign....but for launch....not a chance.
Click to expand...

While I agree it is definitely not a camera your second point is slightly wrong. We all know that it has a camera on the back so this "camera" on the front would be like all the 3G phones that are on the market, for example my K800 has a camera on the back and on the front. The camera on the front is solely used for Video calling while the camera on the back is used for pictures/videos.
 
iShak said:
the last thing you need is a smudgy finger oil camera lens ...
Click to expand...

That's exactly the reason why you can't justify having a camera in there. I really don't think Apple would be that stupid to put a camera where it would be frequently pressed upon all the time. Additionally, I see no reason why Apple would be redundant enough to include two cameras on the iPhone.
 
there would be no point, the iphone isnt capable of video conferecing since it has edge, a minimum of 3g or 3.5G is required for video calls.
 
in reference to the proximity sensor, i believe it is on the top of the phone not near the bottom. i think i saw that in one of the demos on the apple website
 
MBHockey said:
Two good reasons why that is definitely NOT a camera:

1) the only purpose it would serve would be a video call type thing, a-la iChat video conference. EDGE is WAY too slow for video conferencing. At a theoretical maximum of 29 KB/sec, good luck video chatting. Also, good luck video chatting without an iChat application.

2) If the camera is on the front, how do you intend on aiming a shot? The LCD is also on the front -- you won't be able to frame the picture since the camera lens would then be on the same side as the display that shows you what you're taking a picture of.

So please, let's stop entertaining this idea. This is at least the 4th time i've read this on this board. Maybe down the line, after at least one redesign....but for launch....not a chance.
Click to expand...


Exactly. The cameras on macs do look similar but you can clearly see the lens. The "button" is a touch sensor for getting to the home screen.
 
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