Apple iPhone 16 Pro's camera

Apple is set to introduce something big for the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera

Since 2019's iPhone 11, Apple has stuck with 12MP ultrawide cameras for its iPhones. With the latest one providing more details about the module's specifications, some of the rumours suggest that this is set to change next year. The iPhone 16 is still several months away from its anticipated fall launch, but we’ve already gotten plenty of leaks about what to expect from the lineup, including design changes, colour options, battery size upgrades for the Pro Max and more. The latest leak confirms about Ming-Chi Kuo’s analysis at the beginning of the year about a camera upgrade for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models. According to the reports, the main camera sensor of the iPhone 16 Pro will be a Sony IMX803 sensor, the same one on the iPhone 15 Pro models, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max will get a more advanced IMX903. Tim Cook's American tech giant adding new change to iPhone 16 Pro   

Apple iPhone 16 Pro is reported to be getting two new camera sensors and is most probably going to be released this September. In addition to the iPhone 16 Pro Max getting an improved main camera, both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to get 48-megapixel ultra wide cameras, up from the 12MP camera on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models. Apple is also likely to use the Sony IMX903 sensor, which will replace the IMX633 sensor. With a 12MP periscope telephoto module with 5x optical zoom, the IPhone 15 Pro Max replaced the 12MP 3x telephoto camera last year. That sensor is anticipated to come to the iPhone 16 Pro this year. It is likely to be the same as the telephoto camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This telephoto camera has tetra prism design that bends light multiple times to bring far away objects closer to a phone.

We’re looking at a higher megapixel count, along with a bigger sensor size, though this may come at the cost of pixel size, which may shrink from 1 micron on the iPhone 15 Pro’s 12MP sensor to 0.7 microns on the iPhone 16 Pro’s 48MP ultra wide sensor. The good news is that despite the paring down of sensor size on paper, it’s unlikely to affect the performance very much due to “pixel binning.” Almost all phones with high-resolution camera sensors use pixel binning to combine adjacent pixels to create one artificial “superpixel,” which can produce more-detailed images. We’d be genuinely shocked if this technology weren’t present on the iPhone 16.

Kuo previously suggested that the selfie camera may also be upgraded, though this may only come for the iPhone 17, a phone line up that won’t appear until 2025. We may potentially see a 24MP front sensor, up from the current 12MP camera. To date, Kuo has been proven correct. As for the telephoto cameras, the Phone 16 Pro Max should have a 5x telephoto camera, unchanged from the previous generation. The layout of the rear camera array may change rather dramatically, moving to a vertical pill-like camera island, reminiscent of the iPhone X. Again, this all lines up with previous news we’ve heard about the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max camera upgrades.

Moreover, the Pro phones are also likely to get bigger and brighter screens. These iPhones will also have a new A18 Pro chip based on TSMC's 3nm process. For better battery life, the models are likely to use new battery technologies. In other recent leaks, we’ve heard about a new battery cell with improved energy density and a new protective battery shell. This also comes with news about a huge iPhone 16 redesign, a size upgrade for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and features like a larger Action Button and a new Capture Button. With summer approaching, we expect another flurry of iPhone 16 leaks and news before Apple’s likely and still unnamed event in the fall.