Sony’s New Thin CMOS Image Sensor to Fit iPhone 5?

We have heard plenty of rumors about the upcoming iPhone in the past few months. The device is expected to have a more powerful processor, more RAM, and better cameras. Many experts expect the iPhone 5 to be thinner than its predecessor too. While smartphones are getting thinner every year, camera modules are not getting smaller as fast. Sony’s new 13 MP CMOS image sensor is ultra thin and could potentially be used in the next generation iPhone:

This image sensor layers the pixel section containing formations of back-illuminated structure pixels onto chips containing the circuit section for signal processing, which is in place of supporting substrates for conventional back-illuminated CMOS image sensors. This structure achieves further enhancement in image quality, superior functionalities and a more compact size that will lead to enhanced camera evolution.

Sony’s new chip will also produce clearer images, especially in dark scenes. It will have a HDR movie feature too. There is no guarantee that Apple will be taking advantage of this new CMOS sensor in the upcoming iPhone. But if the iPhone 5 is going to be much thinner than what’s currently on the market, it needs to have a smaller camera module.

The iPhone 5 will not only have better cameras, it is also expected to have a quad core processor inside. We will know much more about it by the summer of 2012.