- iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could have a smaller camera sensor
- However, an increase in megapixels is also expected.
- The changes may not make a big difference to the quality of the photo.
The expected launch may still be about eight months away, but we’re already hearing numerous leaks and rumors about the Apple iPhone 17, and the latest tidbit from those in the know suggests that the cameras on the Pro and Pro Max models may suffer from both. degradations. and updates.
According to renowned tipster Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a 48MP+48MP+48MP triple-lens camera on the back, a jump in megapixels from the triple-lens on 48MP+48MP+. 12MP camera installed on the back of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
That’s the upgrade, but the downside is that the 48MP main camera is expected to use a 1/1.3-inch sensor instead of a 1/1.28-inch sensor, a small reduction in size. Generally speaking, the larger the sensor the better, as it can capture more light and more detail in whatever you’re shooting.
Rumors about the telephoto camera upgrading from 12MP to 48MP have been circulating since last year, but this is the first time we’re hearing about the main camera having a smaller sensor size.
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As for how much difference changes to sensor size and megapixel rating will make, it’s hard to say, especially since modern phones apply a lot of image processing to photos and videos after they’ve been captured. The actual hardware performing the capture is only partially responsible for the quality of the image and clip.
If the main camera sensors of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are going to be smaller, it may free up some space for other components, such as a larger battery or a more powerful communications chipset (rumored (The 2025 iPhones will be the first to use a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip made by Apple.)
This particular rumor says nothing about what might happen to the cameras on the standard iPhone 17. As our iPhone 16 review will tell you, the current model and the iPhone 16 Plus use a 48MP + 12MP dual-lens camera setup on the back – and there may be changes here too.
You might even want to wait until 2026 and the iPhone 18 – there’s been talk that the phone will include a variable aperture on the cameras of the Pro and Pro Max models, meaning better low-light shots and more control over depth of field.
