Apple patents image sensor with 20 stops of dynamic range

In what could be a major leap forward in imaging technology, Apple has quietly patented an advanced image sensor that boasts a staggering 20 stops of dynamic range, potentially surpassing the capabilities of even the most sophisticated cinema cameras on the market today. The newly published patent titled “Image Sensor With Stacked Pixels Having High Dynamic Range And Low Noise” offers a glimpse into Apple’s ambitious vision for the future of both consumer and professional imaging.

Apple's patent outlines a stacked image sensor design that brings together two core components

The components are a sensor die, responsible for capturing light, and a logic die, which handles processing and memory. The sensor includes a lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC), a circuit designed to expand dynamic range in challenging lighting conditions.

What sets this sensor apart is its claimed dynamic range of 120 dB, equivalent to nearly 20 stops, approaching the lower end of the human eye’s visual capability. That’s more than industry heavyweights like the ARRI ALEXA 35, considered a gold standard in high-end filmmaking.

One of the most exciting aspects of this patent is independent pixel control

Each photodiode (light-detecting element) can adjust its sensitivity and noise reduction level based on the light hitting it. This pixel-level customization allows bright areas to retain detail without blowing out and darker areas to avoid noise and underexposure.

Moreover, Apple appears to be shifting computational photography—typically handled post-capture by separate image processors—directly to the sensor. This allows for sophisticated image enhancement, such as HDR (high dynamic range), to happen in real time and in a single capture. For users, this could mean better burst photography, faster video processing, and fewer limitations in extreme lighting conditions.

While this innovation could dramatically enhance iPhone photography, the sensor’s capabilities hint at potential applications well beyond smartphones.

If scaled, the technology could find a place in professional cinema cameras, enabling Apple to compete in arenas currently dominated by the likes of ARRI, RED, and Sony.

Given Apple’s track record of designing its own silicon (as seen in the M-series chips), the move toward in-house image sensor development fits its strategy of vertical integration.

Of course, a patent filing does not guarantee a commercial product.

Apple, like other tech companies, routinely files patents, many of which never materialise in the real world. Still, this filing underscores Apple's ongoing investment in imaging innovation and could mark the early stages of a transformative shift in how cameras are built and used.

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