Apple patents 'magnetic add-on camera lens' for iPhones

Apple has reportedly filed a patent for what it calls a 'magnetic add-on lens' that could be aligned with its iPhones for capturing better pictures.

The external camera lens could be attached securely to the iPhone with magnets and aligned with its camera, allowing it to extend the lens and tap into the phone's on-board optics and sensors.

According to Cnet, the patent describes a voice coil motor that would support the moveable parts of the external lens, allowing it to zoom, autofocus, and resist shaking.

Published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the Apple patent describes a 'back panel for a portable electronic device with different camera lens options,' allowing for the use of an image sensor and lens outfitted directly into a smartphone via a removable panel and users could change lenses as well.

The report said that several manufacturers already have been making camera lenses and similar accessories that adhere to the iPhone, but Apple's own module would expand the iPhone's picture-taking capabilities.