For future iPhones, Apple will use in-house ISP

According to some recent pieces of information, the Cupertino-based tech company Apple is working on an in-house ISP. The company intends to improve the imaging and video capabilities of future iPhones. Reportedly, it will enter mass production in H2 of 2026. TSMC will fabricate these chips.

An ISP, a specialized processor, processes the raw picture data that is captured by a smartphone’s camera sensor. This chip is useful for a wide range of tasks, including noise reduction, image sharpening, demosaicing, exposure and white balance preservation, and more. In simple words, ISPs improve the image as well as the video quality.

Apple has already been able to adjust Sony’s ISP to handle things like exposure shifts in video better than most Android makers. However, the story about an iPhone’s photographic capabilities isn’t always consistent. In competition with iPhones, there is always an Android smartphone that is superficial in one camera aspect. For instance, some Huawei smartphones feature low-light imaging and some Pixel devices feature dynamic range.

In any event, the iPhone’s photographic capabilities could finally take a turn for the better. If you’re looking for an almost flawless all-around camera system, iPhones are fantastic. Furthermore, iPhones may even win the title of greatest in certain specialized situations, such as the “best dynamic range ever on a phone” or the “best camera for low light,” thanks to Apple’s proprietary ISP.

If Apple’s internal improvements to its camera system are successful, future iPhones may introduce a shift in what is considered to be the “best camera” category. This information was provided by tipster Revegnus on X.