Cameras are often one of the most exciting aspects of any new iPhone, and this is especially true of the Pro and Pro Max models. These phones are often among the best camera phones you can buy, and typically have better sensors and lenses than the base and Plus models.
That’s likely going to be the case with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. While we don’t know anything for certain about these upcoming phones (and we won’t know until they’re announced, likely 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 outlined our predictions for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max cameras. In cases where rumors aren't consistent, we've mentioned all possibilities (assuming the leaks are credible), but where possible, we've provided an educated guess as to what we think we'll see on the iPhone 16 Pro cameras.
iPhone 16 Pro camera predictions
| iPhone 16 Pro camera specs (rumored) | |
|---|---|
| Main camera: | 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.28 inches |
| Ultra Wide Camera: | 48 MP, 1/2.6 inch |
| Telephoto camera: | 12 MP, f/2.8, 1/3.06 inch, 120 mm (5x optical zoom) |
| Front camera: | 12 MP, f/1.9, 1/3.6 inches |
The iPhone 16 Pro could be getting two major camera upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro. The first of these is rumored to be a new ultra-wide camera, and numerous reports suggest the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 48MP sensor, instead of the 12MP one used by its predecessor.
As well as having more megapixels, it could also be a larger 1/2.6-inch sensor according to some sources, so that could be a big improvement.
The other major upgrade we've heard mentioned numerous times is a 5x telephoto camera instead of the 3x on the iPhone 15 Pro. However, this is somewhat less exciting as it's expected to be the exact same 5x camera we've already seen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max (i.e. a 12MP f/2.8 one).
We're pretty sure both updates will happen as they've been mentioned frequently, but what we're a little less sure about is whether there will be any changes to the main sensor.
On the iPhone 15 Pro, it's 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, though it will still be 48 megapixels.
That said, a more recent leak (albeit from a less knowledgeable source) suggests that there won't be any changes to the iPhone 16 Pro's main camera. At this point, we're not sure who is right, though if we had to guess, we'd say this main camera won't be getting an update, as it seems unlikely that Apple will update all three rear cameras in a year's time.
We’ve also heard that the front-facing camera likely won’t be upgraded on the iPhone 16 Pro, meaning it’ll likely revert to 12MP. However, one source suggests that one or more of the iPhone 16 Pro’s lenses will have a new type of coating, which should help reduce ghosting and artifacts in images. It’s also possible that one or more of the lenses could use a stacked design, which could improve low-light performance.
iPhone 16 Pro Max camera predictions
| iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Specs (Rumored) | |
|---|---|
| Main camera: | 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.14 inches |
| Ultra Wide Camera: | 48 MP, 1/2.6 inch |
| Telephoto camera: | 12 MP, f/2.8, 1/3.06 inch, 120 mm (5x optical zoom) |
| Front camera: | 12 MP, f/1.9, 1/3.6 inches |
The iPhone 16 Pro Max will reportedly have the same 48MP ultra-wide camera as the iPhone 16 Pro, detailed above. This would be an upgrade from the current model’s 12MP ultra-wide camera, and indeed, if the iPhone 16 Pro has it, we’d certainly expect the iPhone 16 Pro Max to have it as well.
As with the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could also receive a new lens coating to reduce ghosting and artifacts in images, and a new stacked camera design for better low-light performance.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could also have a new main sensor, which one source says won’t be making it to the iPhone 16 Pro. However, it will apparently stay at 48MP, so it might not be a drastic improvement. This could be the larger 1/1.14-inch sensor that another source mentioned in relation to the iPhone 16 Pro, above.
There's no current suggestion that the iPhone 16 Pro Max's selfie camera will be upgraded from the current 12MP one, and its telephoto camera likely won't be upgraded either.
That said, some early leaks suggested the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have a “super-telephoto” camera, which would extend the zoom range from the current 5x to 10x or more. Mind you, we haven't heard any recent talk of that particular upgrade, so we doubt it'll happen.
