Apple may be dominating the industry in portable electronics, but reports indicate they have little interest in trying to compete for the strongest smartphone camera... at least for now.

A source at AppleInsider has revealed that the newest iteration of the company's flagship smartphone, the iPhone 6, will feature a 8MP camera, the same as was found in the iPhone 5 and 4. Instead of improving megapixels, Apple will focus on enhancing the quality of the images through other methods.

AppleInsider suggests that Apple will look to enlarge pixel size rather than increase the camera sensor pixel count. A similar method was used with the iPhone 5s.

"The current iPhone 5s is a good example of how Apple is not interested in playing the numbers game when it comes to camera sensor pixel count. Instead of boosting the number of pixels in the iPhone 5s camera, Apple enlarged each pixel's size to 1.5 microns in diameter, a 0.1-micron increase from the iPhone 5. The larger surface area increased the sensor's light gathering capabilities by 33 percent compared to the previous iSight rear facing camera," the website said.

Apple also improved the iPhone's optics through a faster f/2.2 lens group, which enhanced light transmission and image quality.

Apple's move to stay with an 8MP camera is somewhat surprising, given most of its competition is rushing to upgrade to 13MP and beyond. According to KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, brands such as Samsung and Amazon are implementing 13MP+ CMOS image sensors (CIS) into their new handsets. Most of these will manufactured by Sony, which coincidentally also supplies Apple with its CIS products.

"In terms of technology, Sony leads CIS suppliers with its BSI process, which boasts better sensitivity and color saturation quality," Kuo writes. "In 13MP and higher spec, the smaller pixel size creates more difficulty to sensitivity and color saturation. This is where Sony's BSI process stands out."

Samsung Galaxy S5 will feature a 16MP camera. Kuo also predicts Sony will a 21MP CIS in the near feature.

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