Apple Acquisition May Give Next iPhone DSLR-Like Camera

The next iPhone's camera could rival your DSLR, thanks to a new acquisition made by Apple. The Cupertino, Calif., hardware giant has acquired LinX, a company that specializes in making powerful, small camera modules, for an estimated $20 million.

LinX creates smartphone and tablet cameras that are designed to offer rich color fidelity, strong low light performance and low shutter lag. The company's camera can also track depth, allowing for features such as post-shot refocusing and 3D modeling.

It's not surprising that Apple is looking to stay on top of the smartphone camera game. According to data from Flickr, the iPhone is the most used-camera on the image-sharing site, beating out dedicated cameras from companies such as Canon and Nikon. The new Samsung Galaxy S6'sexcellent 16-megapixel camera is one of the best we've seen on any smartphone, giving Apple all the more reason to beef up its camera offerings for future devices.

An improved camera is one of several new features expected to come to the next iPhone, which could arrive in iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and 6 mini variations. Apple's next generation of handsets is rumored to tout the haptic Force Touch technology found in the new MacBook, as well as more RAM for faster performance. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to run on new Apple A9 processors, while the more affordable 6 mini may feature the current A8 chip.

While we likely won't be seeing new iPhones until September, it shouldn't be long before we see what software the new phones are going to run. Apple is expected to showcase iOS 9 at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June, so stay tuned for the news out of Cupertino, Calif., as it unfolds.