Digitimes is reporting that OmniVision has received an order from Apple for 40-45 million CMOS sensors packing 5 megapixels, bound for next year’s 4th generation iPhone. That’s nearly double the unites — and a huge increase in pixel count — from the iPhone 3GS cameras OmniVision currently supplies.

As with all next-gen iPhone rumors, take this one with an iTablet-sized grain of salt, but it does make competitive sense for Apple to bump the camera next year, among other things (cough iPhone HD cough).

(Personally, I prefer lower pixel counts and higher sensor sizes; cutting them up so much results in bigger pictures, not better. Low light should be the arms race here, manufacturers.)

Of course, we’ll never know for sure until WWDC 2010 when Steve Jobs (or Phil Schiller) hoists it up on stage.

Digitimes is reporting… what many others have been rumoring about the next gen iPhone and it’s camera. 3.5 megapixels, according to their “market sources” are bound to get bundled in if/when Apple shows off new iPhone 2,1 hardware at WWDC this year.

What’s even more fantastical is that a 5 megapixel camera is also rumored to be on its way to another Apple product this year. New iSight for the built-ins? Heh. That’s no fun. Gotta be for the next next gen iPhone 3,1, right? Or the iTablet? iNetbook? iYaiyai?!

Rumor season has only just begun folks!

[Via iPhonebuzz/Engadget Mobile]