The iOS 7 beta testing stage is becoming a gold mine of information and speculation as developers play with its features and try to get a handle on exactly what new possibilities the new operating system holds for the future.
The latest news comes from code found hidden inside iOS 7 that suggests the next generation iPhone, likely the 5s, could come equipped with a "mogul" camera mode. This new camera mode will catch the iPhone up with competitors at Samsung and other next generation smartphones and offer uses a video recording rate of 120 frames-per-second. This would give iPhones the capability to record slow motion videos.
"According to our analysis and testing of the code, "Mogul" is a feature in development that allows the iPhone to capture video at an exceptionally fast and precise rate. Specifically, our testing indicates that the feature can allow the iPhone to record video at a rate of 120 frames-per-second (FPS). The resolution at which this 120FPS video could be recorded at, however, is currently unclear," writes 9to5Mac, blog devoted to all things Apple related.
Slow motion videos require a camera that can capture video at a high frame rate so when it plays the video back at a standard speed, it gives the slow motion effect. As stated previously, many smartphones already have this feature built in, specifically the Galaxy S4, Samsung's flagship smartphone that's been stealing business away from Apple in the mobile market.
Right now, the Mogul mode will not work on an iPhone 5, despite it being the latest mobile hardware available from Apple Inc. It is likely that the feature is being reserved for a future incarnation of the iPhone. Given Apple's past history with the iPhone 3s and the iPhone 4s, the mogul camera seems like the perfect update to come with a new model in the "s" series. Since it is highly unlikely the company will skip an iPhone 5s and jump right to iPhone 6, which is expected to be a revolutionary design to the phone, giving it a phablet sized screen to compete with Samsung's devices, the Mogul looks like it's gearing up for a fall release date with the new iPhone 5s. This would coincide with the expected release date of the iOS 7 which the function has clearly been designed for.
Below is a video shot on the Samsung Galaxy S4 that shows what a video recorded at 120 frames-per-second looks like.
