iphone-5-purple-lens-flareThe iPhone 5 hasn't been without its issues, and now reports are surfacing claiming the device's camera is stricken with purple flares. First discovered in the AnandTech forums, the problem occurs when the iPhone 5 cam is pointed directly at a bright light source, be it the sun or a bedroom lamp.

We can confirm that the issue is indeed present — as you can see in the purposefully awful image above — but the angle needs to be just so in order for the purple coloration to appear. A slight adjustment and it disappears — but it's there. Indoors, it was less apparent, but there is definitely a noticeable haze that emanates from bright light. The refraction happens, as we said, only if the light hits at a certain angle.

The likely culprit is the tiny sensor's sensitivity to violet light, which obviously refracts quite heavily. Apple managed to pack plenty of materials inside the iPhone 5's small body, so it was never going to replicate the experience of a high-end piece of glass you'd find on a DSLR. Apple is allegedly aware a problem exists, and is looking into a fix.

Either way, having an ugly purple smear, however faint or obvious, is a bum side effect. Let's hope a convenient fix, such as a software update, is on the way. It's better than Apple telling people to deal with it.

[via UberGizmo]