Apple says iPhone 5 purple camera halo is totally normal

Apple has told at least one customer that any purple halos found in photos taken on the company's iPhone 5 are considered normal and due to the angling of the device.

Gizmodo today posts what it says is a reply from an AppleCare support representative named Debby to an iPhone 5 owner who called the company complaining about the issue.

"Our engineering team just gave me this information and we recommend that you angle the camera away from the bright light source when taking pictures," AppleCare rep Debby writes in an e-mail. "The purple flare in the image provided is considered normal behavior for iPhone 5's camera."

The issue in question is a purple color that typically shows up on the edges of photos when a light source is immediately nearby, though can occur even when the light is off frame. It can also affect both photos and videos.

Some users began complaining about the issue just after Apple's new phone went on sale last month. The problem was not apparent during CNET's own testing of the iPhone 5, which is ongoing.

So far Apple has not put out any official information, including support articles that detail the issue. The company declined to comment on the support e-mail.

Here's an example of the purple coloring on the side of this test shot. The light source is off frame:

Updated at 4:30 p.m. PT adds that Apple declined to comment.