Why is iphone taking pictures so good?

Since the iPhone4s of 20 1 1, Apple has been using an 8 megapixel camera. Before the release of iPhone6, many users expected users to change the "ancestral" characteristics and improve the camera parameters of iPhone, but Apple still "willfully" continued to use 8 megapixel cameras on iPhone6 and 6 Plus. During this period, other manufacturers constantly upgraded camera parameters. At present, the pixel of Android mainstream flagship mobile phone has increased to16 million pixels, but the 8 million pixel iPhone still has few opponents. The reason for this is the following：

Pixels are not everything.

First of all, we should know that pixel determinism and pixel uselessness are actually biased. Although the pixels of the mobile phone camera have a great influence on the imaging of the mobile phone, the pixels of the mobile phone cannot represent everything. Starting from the iPhone4s, all previous generations of iPhones have told us this with very vivid facts.

There are many reasons that affect the imaging of mobile phone camera. High-pixel mobile phone camera is not a necessary and sufficient condition for high quality. Many manufacturers use high pixels to mislead consumers and can take high-quality photos. In addition to pixels, there are also the mobile phone lens itself, CMOS photosensitive elements, the design of image signal processor (ISP), software optimization and so on.

Apple has a profound accumulation in imaging technology.

1994 Apple introduced the world's first home digital camera, Apple QuickTake, which was designed by Apple and manufactured by Kodak. At that time, Apple QuickTake 100 cost 749 dollars, with only 300,000 pixels (resolution 640*480) and 1MB memory. It can only store 8 photos with 640×480 pixels, supports JPEG, TIFF and BMP image formats, and has no LCD screen and zoom function. However, before Jobs returned to Apple, the series was discontinued in 1997 due to budget cuts. However, Apple has accumulated many valuable imaging technologies.

Why do many designers, photographers and professional imaging technicians like to use Apple's Mac computer instead of Windows computer? Because Mac is undoubtedly better than Windows in image processing. ISight on Mac is the legacy of Quicktake. There are many professional-grade Aperture and home-grade iPhoto and iMovie on Mac. Apple has accumulated a lot in basic imaging technology, especially digital imaging.

Software optimization

At present, there are only a few camera suppliers of mainstream mobile phone manufacturers, such as Sony and Omnivision. Sony is the world's largest camera supplier for mobile devices. At present, the mainstream flagship smartphones basically adopt Sony's solution, and Apple is no exception. However, the effect of taking photos with iPhone in actual use is better than that of Samsung's mobile phone and other smart phones in the same period.

As mentioned above, Apple has accumulated a lot of graphics and imaging technologies as early as the Apple QuickTake era and the Mac era, and it controls the white balance, sharpness and noise very well. At the same time, since iOS is a system developed by Apple itself, it should be easier for him to optimize various functions of the camera and leave his opponent behind in shutter delay and focusing speed. On the other hand, Android phone manufacturers generally buy third-party software algorithms and functions to integrate themselves, which will inevitably lead to conflicts. In addition, the mobile phone camera can not be fully mastered in a short time, and it needs a period of optimization. At this time, it also shows the advantages of Apple. IPhone has one or two mobile phones every year, which has obvious time running-in advantages compared with Android mobile phone manufacturers, especially manufacturers like Samsung who may launch hundreds of different models a year.

Apple's Resource Integration Ability

Although everyone uses the camera and CMOS sensor provided by Sony, they may be the same model, but there are also differences. The module for iPhone is customized. In fact, no vendor can get the same module and ISP as iPhone. From the hardware point of view, everyone is not at a starting point at all.

In addition to accumulating its own technology, Apple is also good at integrating resources. The iPhone5s launched by Apple two years ago has a remarkable function-touch ID fingerprint recognition. But "the fingerprint sensor with AuthenTec less than 8 mm is the soul of touch ID." AuthenTec co-founder Scott Moody commented that Touch IDAuthenTec's fingerprint sensor is the core source of iPhone Touch ID technology. 20 12 In July, Apple acquired AuthenTec for $356 million. The fingerprint identification technology accumulated by Authentec for many years was integrated into the iPhone by Apple one year later.

The same thing happened as early as 2008. In 2008, Apple invested in Imagination Technologies to build PowerVR graphics chips for iPhone, then hired Bob Drebin, former chief technology officer of AMD ATI graphics products, and then recruited Raja Koduri, chief technology officer of AMD. 20 10, Imagination acquired Caustic Graphics Display Company, which claims to have more powerful 3D display technology. David Harold, the head of Apple's public relations department, said that the successful acquisition has raised the iPhone real-time display plan to a new height by integrating PowerVR. 20 10 Apple acquired Giant, which solved the problems of underexposure and overexposure of the original photography.

Excellent screen coordination

The photos taken by the mobile phone are presented on the screen of the mobile phone for the first time. If the performance of the mobile phone screen is not good enough, even if you adjust the first-class white balance, you can't show the high quality of the photos.

IPhone screen adopts the most mature and expensive low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) screen. In terms of screen color reproduction, it has always been the most accurate and the largest viewing angle in smart phones. To a great extent, it ensures that the photos taken can present the most realistic effect on the iPhone.