iPhone 5 camera users reporting purple halo on certain photos

Tech Industry

by Lance Whitney September 26, 2012 10:17 AM PDT

@lancewhit

A purple halo seems to be the latest glitch affecting some iPhone 5 owners.

Detailed by forum users at tech review site AnandTech, the flaw reportedly occurs on photographs if you aim your iPhone 5 camera toward a bright light source such as the sun or an incandescent light. If you then move the camera so the light source is off screen, a purple halo effect can be seen through the camera. That effect also shows up on any pictures that are taken.

One poster displayed separate photos with an artificial light source and with the sun off screen, and the purple haze appeared in all of them. Another forum member posted a video displaying the purple lens flare.

As with many such glitches, some users have experienced it and some have not. One user contacted Apple support and was reportedly told that this is a widespread issue, which the company is currently researching. Another person who spoke with Apple support was reportedly told that there have been a lot of calls about this problem.

Some forum users suspect the glitch may stem from the sapphire crystal lens cover used in the iPhone 5's camera. Sapphire is a hard material and thus can protect the lens from scratches. But according to CultofMac, sapphire comes in a variety of colors, and the purple halo may be the result of light refracting through a purple sapphire lens.

I found no mention of this problem on other forums, such as Apple's Support Communities. So it's difficult to tell how widespread it may be.

CNET contacted Apple for comment and will update the story if the company responds.

The purple lens flare is the latest in a series of bugs to hit the new iPhone. New owners have uncovered such issues as light leaks, static lines on the keyboard, and scuffs along the edge of the phone.

Apple has been mum about most of these complaints, at least publicly. But marketing Chief Phil Schiller reportedly did chime in on the "scuffgate" issue, saying that scratches and chips are "normal" for any aluminum product.