Apple’s fix for iPhone 5 camera’s purple flare? Tweak the angle
Apple has addressed the purple flares and streaks that show up on some iPhone 5 pictures, but its solution for the problem is quite disappointing.
On a support page on the Apple website, the Cupertino tech company said this is an issue that affects most small cameras, including past iPhones.
“This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor,†Apple said.
The purple streaks are not something that users have complained about on past iPhones and when The Times tested the iPhone 5 compared with an iPhone 4 camera, the issue only seemed to occur with the newer model.
Regardless, Apple has a simple yet frustrating solution.
“Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand, should minimize or eliminate the effect,†the company says on its site.
Essentially, Apple wants you to hold the camera differently. For many, it sounds very similar to the 2010’s antenna flap when users reported low reception on their iPhone 4s when they held the device a certain way.
At one point, Steve Jobs famously responded to one user’s email by telling the person to simply hold the phone differently.
Ultimately, Apple gave a real solution for the iPhone 4’s antenna issues, but for now, it doesn’t appear Apple will further address the iPhone 5 camera’s purple flares.
Meanwhile, in other Apple news, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., parent of Foxconn Technology Group, provided information about a fight that broke out among its employees at one of its plants last month.
The Apple supplier said the incident did not lead to any work stoppage and only involved “a small group of production-line workers and quality-assurance personnel,†the report says. Videos on the Web, however, seem to contradict that statement.
Additionally, Hon Hai said it has added more workers to the productions lines where the disputes broke out.
ALSO:
Apple fixing Maps app with help of retail store staff
iPhone 5 camera might be flawed, shows purple light
Psy’s Gangnam Style YouTube party is just getting started
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
