What if an iPhone could take DSLR-quality portraits? What if transferring memory cards, connecting cables and waiting for friends to upload pictures to social media were things of the past? Hardware startup aKu wants to make this possible with the ladibird camera.

It's a hardware device that takes all of the essential optics and electronics of a professional DSLR camera and merges them into a phone casing for the iPhone. aKu is previewing the ladibird camera at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Not only is aKu's new ladibird camera lighter, less bulky and less complex than a DSLR, it also enables instant shoot and share through social networks, chat apps, to the cloud, or email, according to aKu's Adam Latip. Its image sensor is 7.5x larger than the average smartphone sensor -- and 4x larger than a compact sensor, he adds. This extra large size lets it absorb more light into any photograph.

The ladibird camera is currently in early stage development with a prototype for the iPhone 5 -- aKu has completed one successful round of Indiegogo funding, and is currently conducting its second round, which will go towards mass production of the camera. For more info go to www.ladibird.com .