The upcoming iPhone 6 and iPhone 5S could feature advance device pairing that facilitates the capture of quality images and smart wireless payment that relies on predictive chips embedded with the gadgets.

In a new set of patents unearthed by Apple Insider this week, Apple appears en route to developing device capabilities that generally offer more practical functionalities for iPhone users.

In a patent filing titled 'Illumination system', Apple engineers have devised the pairings of three iPhones, for instance, in which all the smartphones will work together to create a "social camera system." The object is for one of the devices to shoot while the other two will provide additional lighting.

The result would be a high-quality image amidst a low-light ambiance. The three iPhones, working together as one, defied the limitations by generating the extra light that a lone handset would be hard-pressed to provide.

Using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity, for example, the smart device pairings would set up a condition in which a primary iPhone will act as the shooter while the slave smartphone will deliver the required lighting.

"Apple's invention allows for the primary device to give instructions to the user regarding lighting placement," the Apple Insider report said, highlighting the flawless collaboration of the devices in order to attain the desired results.

"As one example, a display associated with ... a secondary device may display text instructing a person holding that device to move in a particular direction, for a particular distance, to angle or move the device in a certain manner, and so forth," the same report quoted Apple's patent as saying.

Also, the connection protocol to be deployed with the new technology is stable and reliable enough to ensure that the incidence of premature flashes is avoided, Apple said in the patent.

In the other patent, Apple is working on a new payment system that would allow consumers to pick the best payment option in a given situation.

Titled as 'Payment options based on location', Apple's proposed system calls for an always-connected e-wallet scheme that is able to tell an iPhone user which card to use, with the choice bearing the most number of electronic rewards.

In application, an iPhone user actively enrolled with the service will get a real-time alert once he or she makes a stop for petrol refill, with the embedded chip popping a message if the payment should be on Visa or Master Card.

This new iPhone feature will depend on NFC chip and will function on outlets with NFC terminals. Part of the premium offering is smart credit card management and finance audits that maximise users' benefits before or during a particular transaction.

This latter patent is one of the rumoured killer features that analysts said will make it to both the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 releases planned by Apple. The 5S is believe to be issued September this while the rumoured Apple phablet is set for a June 2014 release date.