To catch up with the likes of Galaxy S4 Zoom, Nokia Lumia 1020 and HTC One, Apple is likely deploying new camera technology with separate iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 release dates, apart from boosting the iOS shooter's megapixel numbers.

This was suggested by a new Apple patent that gained approval Tuesday following its filing in 2010. Titled "Image capture using luminance and chrominance sensors," the new invention envisions "a unique multi-sensor camera system that can be used in portable devices like the iPhone," Apple Insider said in a report.

The main object was the elimination of subject blind spots in order to capture high-resolution images with optimal colour enhancement. In one application, this was achieved by one sensor processing instead the subject details overlooked by another sensor.

"If a nearby object creates a blind region for a first sensor, the offset will allow for the image processor to replace compromised image data with information from a second sensor," the same report said.

This new iPhone camera would produce superior quality still images by processing "raw data from the three sensors, comprising luminance, color, and other data, to form a composite color picture."

The system to be put in place on upcoming iPhone models would enjoy a technology that is very similar to HDR in many respects, in which "details lost on one sensor could be extrapolated from another when the images are overlaid in processing," Gotta Be Mobile said in a separate report.

Most importantly, Apple's invention will allow shooters to take pictures in low-light condition and still produce images with high-resolution plus accurate colour rendering, GBM added.

The three-sensor camera platform was more likely to be included with the iPhone 6 package, as it is understood that production of the iPhone 5S is already underway, en route to its rumoured late September or early October release date.

On the other hand, the phablet-sized iPhone 6 was reportedly set for a Q1 2014 debut, with analysts expecting the handset to come out between February and March of the same year.