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Further evidence for dual-flash in iPhone 5S emerges, promising natural-looking indoor shots

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Further evidence has emerged for suggestions that the iPhone 5S could have dual-LED flash in the form of photos of what French leak site NWE claims are part of the rear shell. The slot for the flash has room for two LEDs rather than one.

While it’s possible this is simply to double the power of the flash, analyst Ming Chi-Kuo has previously suggested that the LED flash will feature both white and yellow-based lights. If so, the result should be far more natural-looking indoor flash-lit shots. Explanation below the fold … 

Different type of lighting has a different color cast – what photographers call ‘color temperature’. This is measured in Kelvin, or K. Daylight has a color temperature of around 5500-6500K. Typical indoor lighting has a color temperature of around 3000K, a far yellower light. Cameras attempt to compensate for this by adjusting the white balance to suit. This is all well and good until you use flash.

Use flash in artificial lighting indoors and you’ll likely get a photo of white faces and a yellow-looking background. With flash on, the camera sets the white balance for that (a similar color temperature to daylight), resulting in everything else appearing yellow. If the iPhone 5S is clever enough to use the yellow flash indoors, both flash and existing lighting will have a similar color temperature, giving more natural-looking shots.

Image: learningdslr.com

Image: learningdslr.com

Of course, all claimed leaked component photos need to be viewed with skepticism. Many are third-party components or out-and-out fakes. But we are hearing the same thing on this one from multiple sources, and NWE does have photos showing it isn’t just a one-off piece:

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Comments

  1. Mark Thomson (@TameGeek) - 11 years ago

    Is it just me, but that doesn’t look like glass. Could the back plates be made of Liquid Metal has has been previously mentioned?

  2. Justin Latham - 11 years ago

    I really hope this is real. That doesn’t look like glass. The two-tone material on the iPhone 5 is understandable if they can’t design the antennae to work with an all metal back. But now that HTC has done it with the One I’m really expecting an All black metal iPhone 5S.

  3. Shane Bushman - 11 years ago

    It’s glass with protective plastic over it

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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