Apple iPhone 5S Camera Module Leaked Ahead Of Release Date, Hints At Separate Dual-LED Flash Component

At a time when Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) next-generation iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 5S, is a mere month away from its expected release in September, a new report claims that the device could undergo an internal design change, which will give the handset a camera with a dual-LED flash component that is entirely independent of the lens.

A set of leaked pictures of a camera module, claimed to be of the iPhone 5S, was obtained by France-based NowhereElse.fr, which reported, on Wednesday, that the next iPhone would feature a standalone camera, unlike the current iPhone 5, which has an LED flash with a ribbon attached to the lens. The report suggested that the iPhone 5S camera does not include a flash component, possibly because it will feature a more powerful dual-LED flash.

Rumors are rife that Apple will incorporate a dual-LED flash into its iPhone 5S, allowing the new flagship handset to better illuminate photos in low-light situations. According to earlier reports, the iPhone 5S is likely to feature a pill-shaped dual-LED flash component to the right of the lens.

The purported iPhone 5S camera module in question appears to be the same as the one reported last week, tying it to the low-cost iPhone, dubbed the “iPhone 5C.” However, current rumors suggest that the iPhone 5C could share multiple hardware specifications with the iPhone 5, which makes it more likely that the new dual-LED flash could be meant for the iPhone 5S.

Although the leaked camera module does not provide any further information about the quality of the iPhone 5S camera, recent rumors have indicated that the handset could improve on the iPhone 5’s eight-megapixel camera that comes with a sapphire glass lens, by sporting a 12-megapixel shooter.

In addition to the flash component and additional pixels, the camera in the iPhone 5S is also rumored to feature a new slow-motion photography mode, which would allow users to record videos at 120 frames per second, or FPS. The new capability, code-named “Mogul,” was found in the iOS 7 Beta 3.

Rumors has it that Foxconn (TPE:2354) is hiring as many as 90,000 workers for the production of the iPhone 5S as Apple is likely to release the handset, along with the revamped iOS 7, sometime in September.

With Apple losing market share in the worldwide smartphone and mobile phone operating system markets, both the iPhone 5S and the iOS 7 are expected to help the company regain its lost glory and its position at the top of the smartphone market.