iPhone 5 to feature an 8-megapixel camera?

We've heard all kinds of rumored specs for Apple's next-gen iPhone, including a larger display and dual-core processor, but what about the camera? According to a report from 9 to 5 Mac, the iPhone 5 will be getting an updated camera module when it launches later this year, too. In an interview with Walt Mossberg, Sony CEO Howard Stringer let slip that his company's shipments of camera image sensors that were supposed to go to Apple have been delayed due to the recent earthquake in Japan. However, Omnivision, not Sony, has supplied the camera components for all of the iPhones up until now, suggesting that Sony will be responsible for the sensors in an upcoming Apple product. This news corroborates analyst Ashok Kumar's report from April 2010, which claimed that the 2011 version of the iPhone would sport an 8-megapixel camera with image sensors provided by Sony. Kumar's report also predicted that the iPhone 4 would feature a 5-megapixel camera, which we now know was correct.

We've heard that the upgrade to the iPhone 5 will be more of a spec bump rather than a total redesign, so it wouldn't be a shock to learn that Apple is planning to update the camera in its next-gen handset. Plus, a delay in the shipment of image sensors meant for the iPhone 5 could explain why the device may not be making its debut at WWDC 2011. What do you all think? Is Apple planning to upgrade the camera in the next iteration of the iPhone?

Via MacRumors, 9 to 5 Mac

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