Apple may introduce LOFIC camera sensor technology in the 2027 iPhone lineup (according to new information from Korea).
This technology will allow iPhones to capture photos with much more detail in both bright and dark areas of the same shot.
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LΟFIC, or Lateral Overflow Integration Capacitor, is a next-generation imaging technology that allows each pixel to store different amounts of light, depending on the brightness of the scene. This allows a sensor to capture detail in both bright and dark areas within a single frame, potentially achieving up to 20 stops of dynamic range. This is comparable to high-quality cinema and approaching the range of human vision.
LOFIC technology in Apple iPhone and other companies
According to the account “yeux1122” on the Korean blog Naver, Chinese manufacturers such as Honor, Xiaomi and Huawei plan to adopt LΟFIC technology in their flagship smartphones in 2026 using new sensors from Sony, while OPPO and Vivo are also developing LΟFIC-equipped models (for release next year). Apple’s adoption is expected to follow in 2027.
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Apple first described its LΟFIC technology in an image sensor patent filed in July. At the time, it described a “layered” sensor design, with a dedicated light-capturing layer and a processing layer that handles noise reduction . Apple is said to have already developed a working prototype and may be testing it on developmental hardware.
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Apple currently uses sensors made by Sony across its iPhone lineup. These sensors also use a two-layer design, but Apple’s proposed version includes several innovative features and takes up less space. Based on the adoption timeline, Apple could be planning to introduce the custom image sensor in the 20th anniversary iPhone. Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the anniversary model that could feature a bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device.
