Apple has always been quite slow when it comes to increasing the megapixel count on the iPhone, but despite that, the company maintains a stronghold in the department with its computational efforts. It has been only a few years since the company upgraded the camera from 12MP to 48MP, and as per the latest leak, the company plans to introduce a 200MP camera on the iPhone. Apple's decision is abrupt and out of the blue, but it does make sense as the competition has rocked the same sensor for years now, and the company has finally decided to catch up.
Apple’s 200MP camera could improve zoom and cropping and enhance photo quality on future iPhones
According to a Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station, Apple is testing a 200MP camera sensor, which could be introduced in a future model of the iPhone. The account does not share additional details on the camera specifications, or the type of sensor Apple is testing. However, we can speculate that the company will use the 200MP sensor for the main rear camera on the iPhone. More importantly, the company would upgrade the main camera sensor only on the 'Pro' models initially before streamlining it to the rest of the lineup.
Apple's iPhone Air could definitely benefit from the upgraded camera sensors, as the devices are reported to feature a single-lens setup, similar to the iPhone 16e. This could allow the devices to take higher resolution photos and videos while adding 2x to 5x digital zoom capabilities, something that is quite hard to achieve with a 48MP lens while maintaining image quality.
We are not sure when the company will transition to 200MP cameras, but it is planned for higher-end models. The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 models will feature 48MP main camera sensors, which are a step up from 12MP, but the resolution is lower than the competition.
Samsung has been using the 200MP camera sensors since the launch of the Galaxy S23 Ultra handsets in 2023. All flagship models have been equipped with 200MP sensors since then, and the company will make additional strides to keep itself ahead of the curve. Apple's 20th-anniversary iPhone will feature a major redesign, which means that the company will go all out on the external design. It is highly likely that the 2027 iPhone Pro models will get 200MP camera sensors, which will mark a significant shift in the company's design and hardware portfolio for the device.
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