iPhone could get swappable lenses but is there any point?

iPhones may soon be packing fittings to allow different lenses if the latest patent granted by the USPTO.

For snap-happy iPhone owners the thought of having interchangeable lenses for macro close-ups and another for wide-angle shots, for instance.

The patent first turned up as an application a few weeks ago, but Apple has already been granted rights to the IP.

Then again, this could all amount to nothing, as Apple frequently patents tech it doesn’t necessarily use right away in products.

Interestingly though, supposed spyshots from inside the iPhone factory, Foxconn, show an iPhone with a raised camera protruding slightly from the back of the device, and the drawings from the patent also show such a design.

That all depends on how much you trust these shady leaks, of course. The thing is that the reasoning behind the iPhone 6 possibly having a protruding camera lens could come from the phone having an ultra slim body. Just look at the current iPod Touch below for proof that Apple would and have produced a product with a sticky-out lens.

Apple building an interchangeable lens system native to iPhone would be in keeping with its dedication to having the best camera available in mobile devices.

Obviously, Apple is aware of the add-ons that already exist from third-parties, but most of these are clip-ons or magentised attachments – even Will.i.am has gotten in on the action.

It could be a neat move to introduce the bayonet system borrowed from DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

This could be an interesting and exciting development or is it too easy to get caught up in the ‘what if’ before asking ‘why?’.

If you were going out, you’d have to remember to pocket your additional lenses, just as you would with a real camera. Surely the whole point in phone pics is that it’s point-and-shoot, rather than seeing a pretty view, rummaging for your wide angle lens (why not just use the panoroma function?) and attaching it before taking your snap.

I’m thinking that Apple has done this more as a blocking move than a developmental one. What do you think?