Apple Seeking New Vendor for Improved iPhone Ambient Light Sensor? - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Seeking New Vendor for Improved iPhone Ambient Light Sensor?

134012 iphone sensors
Arrow on left points to iPhone ambient light sensor (Source: ReadWriteWeb)

DigiTimes reports that Apple is in discussions with two Taiwan-based integrated circuit design firms, Integrated Memory Logic (iML) and Capella Microsystems, for sourcing of components for the company's iOS devices.

The more interesting of the two claims appears to be related Capella, which is said to have delivered new ambient light sensors to Apple for testing and verification. According to the report, Capella could be in a position to begin supplying Apple with such sensors for the iPhone by the end of the year and that the components would likely represent an improvement over existing sensors.

Capella, which ships over one million ambient-light sensors to HTC a month currently, has reportedly delivered its products to Apple for verification as the ambient-light sensors currently used by iPhone 4 have been criticized for some problems, said the sources, noting that Capella may received Apple's orders before the end of the year at the earliest.

iML is said to be in discussions to provide Apple with programmable gamma buffers for the iPad, components which help regulate the luminance of the LCD displays.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Don't Buy)
Related Forums: iPad, iPhone

Popular Stories

iphone fold text

iPhone Fold Production Pushed Back, But Fall 2026 Launch Still on Track

Monday April 13, 2026 1:44 pm PDT by
Production on the iPhone Fold is behind schedule, but the device is still slated to launch in fall 2026, reports DigiTimes. The site says that production has been pushed back by "roughly one to two months," but Apple has not communicated any launch delays to suppliers. Apple is still planning for a 2026 launch, which suggests a tighter production schedule. Apple planned to begin iPhone Fold...
iPad A16 Colors

Here's When to Expect an iPad 12 With Apple Intelligence

Friday May 1, 2026 8:21 am PDT by
A new entry-level iPad 12 with Apple Intelligence support likely remains months away, based on a comment shared by an Apple executive this week. On an earnings call on Thursday, Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh said that the company's iPad revenue in the March-June quarter will face a "difficult compare" due to the the launch of the entry-level iPad 11 with the A16 chip in March 2025. Parekh is...
iOS 27 on iPhone 17 1

iOS 27 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday May 2, 2026 8:43 am PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote on June 8, and there are already many rumored features and changes for iPhones. The first developer beta of iOS 27 will likely be available immediately following the keynote, and a public beta typically follows in July. Following beta testing, the software update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in...

Top Rated Comments

196 months ago
the light sensor on the iphone also shuts the screen off when you put it up to your face...
No, they're different components.

The iPod touch has an ambient light sensor, no proximity sensor.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxBURT0Nxx Avatar
196 months ago
No, that's the proximity sensor.
oh, then they need to replace the prox sensor... thought they were one in the same. thanks for the info.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago


This problem has been around forever, too; I bet there will be at least a few people in this thread that'll go "Yeah I noticed that too."

Actually what I noticed is that the light sensor never seems to do anything. I have my iphone set to auto brightness but it just seems to stay at the same brightness.

I've always wondered if it was some bug and the auto brightness just never really turned on (like whatever brightness setting I had had over rid the light sensor). Or maybe I had to have brightness at 0 for it to work or something.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
Always wondered what was that brown circle on my iPod Touch.:rolleyes:
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
196 months ago
It never works when on the lockscreen. Turn on iPhone in bed, backlight kills your eyes, slide to unlock and go to home screen then it dims. Too late!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TimUSCA Avatar
196 months ago
the light sensor on the iphone also shuts the screen off when you put it up to your face...


thank god for this news, the sensor on my iPhone 4 sucks... granted it has definitely been better after iOS updates, it still sucks major balls and I mute people or put them on hold all the time.

No, it isn't. That's the proximity sensor. Otherwise, the screen would never turn on in the dark.

Personally, I'm glad for this. I see it react in the daylight, but I've always thought it was very slow to do so. In the dark, I find myself being blinded by the screen for up to a couple minutes before it finally dims the screen.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Related Apple News: World News | South Africa | Iphone | Mac | Politics