The cameras are often one of the most exciting aspects of a new iPhone, and that’s especially true of the Pro and Pro Max models. These handsets are usually some of the best camera phones money can buy, and often have better sensors and lenses than the base and Plus models.
This is likely to be the case with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. While we don’t know anything specific about these upcoming phones yet – and won’t know until they’re expected to be announced in September – we’ve heard plenty of leaks and rumors that give us a good idea of what to expect from their respective camera setups.
Below, we’ve detailed our iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max camera predictions. Where the rumors disagree, we’ve mentioned all the possibilities – assuming the leaks are credible – but as much as possible, we’ve made an educated guess about what we expect from the iPhone 16 Pro’s cameras.
iPhone 16 Pro camera predictions
The iPhone 16 Pro could receive two significant camera upgrades compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. The first of these is rumored to be a new ultra-wide-angle camera, with numerous reports suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 48MP sensor instead of the 12MP sensor of its predecessor.
In addition to the more megapixels, some sources say it could also be a larger 1/2.6-inch sensor, so that could be a significant improvement.
The other big upgrade we’ve heard mentioned many times is a 5x telephoto camera instead of the 3x camera on the iPhone 15 Pro. This is less exciting in some ways, though, as it’s expected to be exactly the same 5x camera we saw on the iPhone 15 Pro Max (namely a 12MP f/2.8).
Since these two upgrades have been mentioned so many times, we’re pretty confident they’re going to happen. However, we’re a little less sure whether there will be any changes to the main sensor.
The iPhone 15 Pro is a 48MP f/1.8 camera with a 1/1.28-inch sensor size. However, leaker Digital Chat Station claims that the sensor size on the iPhone 16 Pro will increase to 1/1.14-inch, but still with 48 megapixels.
However, a more recent leak – albeit from a less experienced source – suggests that there will be no changes at all to the iPhone 16 Pro’s main camera. At the moment, we’re not sure who’s right here, but if we had to guess, we’d say that this main camera won’t be updated, as it seems unlikely that Apple will update all three rear cameras in one year.
We’ve also heard that the front-facing camera on the iPhone 16 Pro is unlikely to be improved, meaning it will likely be 12MP again. However, one source suggests that one or more of the iPhone 16 Pro’s lenses will have a new type of coating that should help reduce ghosting and artifacts in images. It’s also possible that one or more of the lenses will use a stacked design, which could improve low-light performance.
iPhone 16 Pro Max camera predictions
The iPhone 16 Pro Max is rumored to get the same 48MP ultra-wide camera as the iPhone 16 Pro above. This would be an upgrade from the current model’s 12MP ultra-wide camera, and if the iPhone 16 Pro gets that camera, we certainly expect the iPhone 16 Pro Max to get it too.
Like the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro Max may receive a new lens coating to reduce ghosting and artifacts in images, as well as a new stacked camera design for improved low-light performance.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could also get a new main sensor that one source says won’t be found on the iPhone 16 Pro. However, it will apparently remain at 48MP, so it may not be a drastic upgrade. This could be the larger 1/1.14-inch sensor that another source mentioned above in relation to the iPhone 16 Pro.
There is currently no indication that the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s selfie camera will be upgraded from the current 12MP, and the telephoto camera is unlikely to be upgraded either.
However, some early leaks suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could get a “super telephoto” camera that would extend the zoom range from the current 5x to 10x or more. However, we haven’t heard anything about this particular upgrade recently, so we doubt it will happen.
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