- The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could have a smaller camera sensor
- However, a boost in megapixels is also expected
- The changes may not make much of a difference to image quality
The expected launch may still be around eight months away, but we’re already hearing numerous leaks and rumors surrounding the Apple iPhone 17 – and the latest tidbit from those in the know suggests the cameras on the Pro and Pro Max models could both get downgrades and upgrades.
According to renowned tipster Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a triple 48MP+48MP+48MP camera on the back – a jump in megapixels from the triple-lens 48MP+48MP+ 12MP camera mounted on the back of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
That’s the upgrade, but the downgrade is that the primary 48MP camera is expected to use a 1/1.3-inch sensor rather than a 1/1.28-inch sensor – a slight reduction in size. In general, the bigger the sensor, the better, as it’s able to capture more light and more detail, regardless of what you’re taking a picture of.
Rumors of the telephoto camera getting an upgrade from 12MP to 48MP have actually been floating around since last year, but this is the first we’ve heard of the primary camera having a smaller sensor size.
Find the difference
As for how much of a difference the changes in sensor size and megapixel rating will make, it’s hard to say – especially since modern phones apply so much image processing to photos and videos after they’re taken. The actual hardware doing the recording is only partially responsible for image and clip quality.
If the main camera sensors on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max actually get smaller, that could free up space for other components – like a bigger battery or a more powerful communications chipset (rumor has it that the 2025 iPhones will be the first to use an Apple-made Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip).
This particular rumor doesn’t say anything 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 dual-lens 48MP+12MP camera setup on the back – and it’s possible, that there will also be changes here.
Maybe you’ll even want to wait until 2026 and the iPhone 18: The handset has been rumored to include variable aperture cameras on the Pro and Pro Max models, meaning better low-light shots and more control over depth of field.
