When I first saw your tweet, I thought: "14.6 megapixels?! WOW!" ...But then I read your post, and I fully concur with you. There are more important things to improve, and the current 3.2 MP resolution would be more than sufficient had it had the current camera had better lenses, zoom, etc. I'm still shooting all of my non-phone pictures with a 5 MP camera, but one that is rich in other functions, and I'm not planning on shopping for a replacement in the near future... Great post and conclusions, Scott.
Good for you for not falling for the industry's obsession with mega-pixels Geno. My digital SLR is 8MP, purchased years ago, and I don't feel the need to go larger than that, certainly. I've NEVER thought, "man if I only had higher resolution on that shot..."
There are some benefits of the higher resolution, like being able to zoom in and crop with software or of course print posters, but how often do you really need to do that?
Otherwise, the pictures just take up a ton of unnecessary space.
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Today, OmniVision Technologies announced the availability of a new 14.6 megapixel HD image sensor that's capable of 60 fps for full 1080p HD video. That's a far cry from the current 3.2-megapixel camera in the iPhone 3GS.
Apple switched to OmniVision Technologies as the source for the camera chips in the iPhone 3GS and there's already talk of Apple using OVT's 5-megapixel chips in their next generation iPhone due summer 2010.
With more and more mega-pixels, what's to become of the iPhone photographers, who coax incredible art out of the current lo-tech? Will everybody with an iPhone be able to take amazing pictures?
Does more mega-pixels matter?
It isn't about pixels. The tiny lens and resulting small aperture and focal-length are major contributors to the quality (or lack thereof) that we get out of the iPhone in less than optimal conditions. With everything else remaining the same, more pixels won't result in better pictures.
We don't need your stinking mega-pixels
A 3.2-megapixel camera can produce more than enough resolution for any online viewing, say, on Flickr. Even for printing, 3.2-megapixels is plenty for your standard 3x5 or 4x6 prints. How many poster-sized prints do we need from any camera?
Improve You.
What will make a difference much more than mega-pixels is higher quality lenses, analog zoom, low-light performance (which more pixels works against).
What will make the biggest difference of all is when you realize that the camera isn't taking the picture. The photographer is taking the picture. The skilled photographer knows the capabilities limits of the tool he or she has, and can make the best of it. The camera is just there to capture the shot and make it easier.
To answer the question posed in the title of this post, no, I don't think so.
Improved technology will allow the iphone to work better in more conditions, like low light or long-distance, approaching the capabilities of point and shoot cameras. But the iPhone is still a computer with an operating system. Software developers can still create a LO-FI camera that emulates a Helga camera or a Kodak Instamatic camera. The photographers who know how to make those cameras dance will continue to impress.