Don't go getting all excited by reports (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/04/03/omnivision_apple_iphone/) that the camera in Apple's upcoming, new iPhone will be of the 3.2-megapixel variety.

Merely pumping up megapixelage doesn't make a camera better. A 3.2-megapixel camera with the same sub-optimal optics and image-processing circuitry as is in the current iPhone will produce equally crappy photos - just bigger ones.

Other camera-phone makers realize this, and have added such niceties as the 3.2-megapixel LG Dare (http://lgdare.net/)'s quality Schneider Kreuznach (http://www.schneiderkreuznach.com/index_e.htm) optics, and the top-notch image correction from DxO labs (http://www.dxo.com/intl/photo) supporting the 3.2 megapixel camera (http://palmwebosblog.com/palm-pre/palm-pre-camera-going-the-extra-mile/) in the upcoming Palm Pre (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/12/welcome_back_palm/).

And if you really want to get serious about camera-phone quality, check out the more-camera-than-phone five-megapixel Motorola MotoZine ZN5 (http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=242), with its Xenon flash, auto-focus, low-light setting, editing effects, panorama-stitching, and shutter speeds of up to 1/1000 seconds.

The same DigiTimes report (http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20090403PB200.html) that broke the 3.2-megapixel rumor mentioned that OmniVision will also supply Apple with a five-megapixel CMOS image sensor for "another Apple product expected to be launched later in the year."

What that might be is anyone's guess.

Here at The Reg, we've speculated (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/23/iphone_line/) that the iPhone line will grow beyond its current one-size-fits-all (except for capacity) model, so possibly a five-megapixel camera might find its way into an iPhone Pro - or some such.

We're certain that the smart folks at Apple know that merely adding a few pixels and video capability to the iPhone won't make it a great camera phone. What we don't yet know is how much they care. ®