Apple Seeking New Vendor for Improved iPhone Ambient Light Sensor?

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Arrow on left points to iPhone ambient light sensor (Source: ReadWriteWeb)

DigiTimes reports that Apple is in discussions with two Taiwan-based integrated circuit design firms, Integrated Memory Logic (iML) and Capella Microsystems, for sourcing of components for the company's iOS devices.

The more interesting of the two claims appears to be related Capella, which is said to have delivered new ambient light sensors to Apple for testing and verification. According to the report, Capella could be in a position to begin supplying Apple with such sensors for the iPhone by the end of the year and that the components would likely represent an improvement over existing sensors.

Capella, which ships over one million ambient-light sensors to HTC a month currently, has reportedly delivered its products to Apple for verification as the ambient-light sensors currently used by iPhone 4 have been criticized for some problems, said the sources, noting that Capella may received Apple's orders before the end of the year at the earliest.

iML is said to be in discussions to provide Apple with programmable gamma buffers for the iPad, components which help regulate the luminance of the LCD displays.

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Top Rated Comments

cvaldes Avatar
158 months ago
the light sensor on the iphone also shuts the screen off when you put it up to your face...
No, they're different components.

The iPod touch has an ambient light sensor, no proximity sensor.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxBURT0Nxx Avatar
158 months ago
No, that's the proximity sensor.
oh, then they need to replace the prox sensor... thought they were one in the same. thanks for the info.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tigress666 Avatar
158 months ago


This problem has been around forever, too; I bet there will be at least a few people in this thread that'll go "Yeah I noticed that too."

Actually what I noticed is that the light sensor never seems to do anything. I have my iphone set to auto brightness but it just seems to stay at the same brightness.

I've always wondered if it was some bug and the auto brightness just never really turned on (like whatever brightness setting I had had over rid the light sensor). Or maybe I had to have brightness at 0 for it to work or something.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GCardoso Avatar
158 months ago
Always wondered what was that brown circle on my iPod Touch.:rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LegendKillerUK Avatar
158 months ago
It never works when on the lockscreen. Turn on iPhone in bed, backlight kills your eyes, slide to unlock and go to home screen then it dims. Too late!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimUSCA Avatar
158 months ago
the light sensor on the iphone also shuts the screen off when you put it up to your face...


thank god for this news, the sensor on my iPhone 4 sucks... granted it has definitely been better after iOS updates, it still sucks major balls and I mute people or put them on hold all the time.

No, it isn't. That's the proximity sensor. Otherwise, the screen would never turn on in the dark.

Personally, I'm glad for this. I see it react in the daylight, but I've always thought it was very slow to do so. In the dark, I find myself being blinded by the screen for up to a couple minutes before it finally dims the screen.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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