4 new camera features Apple may add to iPhone 16 Pro models
Apple
is expected to launch the
iPhone
16 series later this year in September. The upcoming lineup may include four smartphone models -- the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Plus, the
iPhone 16 Pro
and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Pro variants in the upcoming iPhone lineup are rumoured to bring new features like larger displays, a dedicated Capture button and more.
According to a recent report by 9to5Mac, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also expected to add multiple noticeable improvements to the camera hardware of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models. Here are four new camera upgrades that may arrive with iPhone 16 Pro smartphones:
Upgraded ultra-wide cameras
Rumours suggest the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max may get an upgraded
48MP Ultra Wide camera
this year. This is expected to be a major improvement from the current 12 MP Ultra Wide camera in the iPhone 15 Pro models.
This upgrade is expected to offer improved performance in various shooting scenarios, particularly in low-light conditions. Images captured with the new Ultra-Wide camera are likely to show greater details and enhanced colour accuracy. The higher resolution will also provide increased flexibility during editing and post-processing.
Furthermore, the 48MP Ultra Wide camera in the iPhone 16 Pro may also lead to significant advancements in spatial video recording. This feature, which utilises both the Main and Ultra Wide lenses, may enable the iPhone 16 Pro to record spatial video in 4K resolution. To compare, the iPhone 15 Pro is limited to recording spatial video at 1080p resolution.
Tetra-prism lens for iPhone 16 Pro
The current iPhone 15 Pro Max features a new tetra-prism camera design which offers 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom capabilities. With the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, Apple is reportedly planning to extend this upgraded tetra-prism camera to the smaller iPhone 16 Pro model as well. This means both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will offer at least 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom.
Rumours also suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro Max might feature a “periscope ultra-long telephoto combination.” This technology could potentially enable optical zoom greater than 5x.
Improved lens flare control
A common issue faced by most iPhone users is capturing lens flare while shooting in bright lighting conditions. This results in unexpected artefacts and internal reflections showing on images. While this problem is prevalent across most cameras on the market, Apple is reportedly working on a solution for the iPhone 16 Pro.
According to rumours, Apple is testing a new "atomic layer deposition" (ALD) lens coating technology for the iPhone 16 Pro models. This anti-reflective coating could be applied to the iPhone 16 Pro's camera lenses to reduce the impact of internal reflections.
If this rumour is true, users can expect fewer unexpected artefacts in images captured with the iPhone 16 Pro, particularly in bright lighting scenarios.
New Sony primary sensor for improved low-light photography
The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to feature a new main camera sensor from Sony, which is designed to improve low-light performance.
As per the report, Sony's latest stacked sensor technology separates the photodiodes and pixel transistors (which are usually combined into a single layer). This separation will allow the photodiodes responsible for capturing light to be significantly larger within the same overall pixel size.
Sony claims that this new sensor will capture twice as much light as existing camera sensors. The increased light capture and reduced noise are expected to offer improved photos for iPhone users in all conditions.
However, it remains uncertain whether this next-generation
Sony
sensor will be utilised in both iPhone 16 Pro models. A tipster on the Chinese social media platform Weibo suggested that only the iPhone 16 Pro Max may feature this upgraded stacked camera sensor hardware.
