Jul 17, 2014 02:28 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Apple may be ready to give its iPhone camera the first megapixel upgrade in three years.

According to Mac Rumors, Alibaba.com obtained a photo of a Sony Exmor IMX220 camera sensor that is apparently to be used on the iPhone 6. The resulting resolution is expected to be 13-megapixels, a five-point jump from the camera resolution of the iPhone 5S/5C, 5 and 4S.

The last time Apple upgraded its iPhone's camera resolution was with the release of the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 6 is expected to record video at a 1080p HD resolution like the past three models.

The new report comes from Digi-Wo, a Chinese tech blog and Sony enthusiast. Using Google Translate, G for Games reportedly made the report available in English.

Previously reported on Mac Rumors was that the iPhone 6 was not going to get a megapixel upgrade for the handset's camera. Instead, Apple was reportedly only going to improve the device's image stabilization technology.

Even with the supposed camera upgrade, Apple will lag behind its biggest competitor. Samsung's latest smartphone, the Galaxy S5, has a 16-megapixel camera, though no device on the market can compete with the Nokia Lumia and its 41-megapixel camera.

Digi-Wo also learned that Sony is going to use a different version of the Exmor IMX220 sensor for the company's flagship Xperia Z3 handset. Expected to hit shelves later this year, the Z3 is expected to have a 20-megapixel camera.

As is traditional for Apple, the company is expected to debut its new iPhone in the fall, mostly likely mid- to late-September in front of developers and media personnel. Apple is accustomed to releasing its latest mobile devices alongside their latest iOS update.

However, Apple is widely expected to launch to versions of the iPhone 6 (one 4.7 inches and the other 5.5 inches), like they did with the 5S/5C release. Apple never lets its plans known until the release date, but conflicting rumors disagree as to whether or not the larger one will need extra time.

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