Apple has responded to user concerns about a purple flare that appears in photos taken with the new iPhone 5 smartphone. It has confirmed the issue exists but has warned users to avoid pointing their cameras in the direction of bright light sources.
Apple engineers have posted a support document confirming the problem exists, but suggest it is a regular problem in digital cameras.
While the iPhone 5 uses the same camera technology as the iPhone 4S, Apple reduced the size of the camera by 20pc and moved to a sapphire lens cover.
In the document, Apple said: “Most small cameras, including those in every generation of iPhone, may exhibit some form of flare at the edge of the frame when capturing an image with out-of-scene light sources.
“This can happen when a light source is positioned at an angle (usually just outside the field of view) so that it causes a reflection off the surfaces inside the camera module and onto the camera sensor.
“Moving the camera slightly to change the position at which the bright light is entering the lens, or shielding the lens with your hand, should minimise or eliminate the effect,” Apple said.