If the iPhone 16 gets this camera upgrade, I’ll buy one for the Oasis reunion
Liam and Noel Gallagher have confirmed that Oasis is going to reunite for five UK shows in 2025, the iconic Britpop band’s only European shows next year. The announcement follows years of speculation since the band split in 2008, and tickets are expected to sell out quickly when they go on sale this Saturday (August 31).
The reunited duo will be playing some of the UK’s biggest stadiums, but with limited ticket availability, many fans will have to wait for videos and photos of their happier friends. According to the BBCAn announcement on Oasis’ social media accounts confirmed that the shows would not be televised, piling on the pressure for those searching for the perfect photo or clip.
It got me thinking about whether I’m capable of being the designated concert photographer for my friends and family – and with Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event I expect to have news about a new iPhone (presumably the iPhone 16) on September 9, but I’m seriously considering upgrading my worn-out Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which was released back in 2018.
Zoom in on specifications
I want the iPhone 16 to improve its digital zoom and catch up to its Android rivals. Apple has built a reputation for great cameras, and the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have all earned high camera scores in our reviews. For me, zoom distance is really the final piece of the puzzle.
We predict that the iPhone 16 Pro will inherit the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x optical zoom, meaning digital zoom on both models will be limited to 25x. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus won’t feature a telephoto lens, but will support 2x optical zoom by cropping the main sensor. Since the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus likely won’t add a telephoto lens, digital zoom will likely be limited to 10x.
In both cases, this is less than the 30x digital zoom on my six-year-old Huawei. The iPhones offer decent levels of zoom, especially the Pros, but they can’t match the impressive zooms offered by Android phones. Samsung is a noted leader in this area, and its 100x Space Zoom is supported by a 50MP periscope lens on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Honor Magic 6 Pro matches 100x zoom but bumps up the resolution to 180MP, while Google’s new Pixel 9 Pro XL matches my old Huawei to a respectable 30x.
However, Chinese manufacturer Vivo seems to be taking the top spot in terms of zoom capabilities. According to the Times of IndiaThe rumored Vivo X100 Pro Plus could offer up to 200x digital zoom with a 10x telephoto lens. With such a zoom, you’d be able to see the individual strings on Noel’s guitar from the other side of the world – as long as the photo holds up.
Currently, the longest optical telephoto lenses in smartphones are the 10x lenses used by Samsung and Huawei. Once you exceed the optical zoom limit, the phone’s software has to upscale the image to compensate for the loss in quality. This is called interpolation, and can result in blurry or unclear images at very high zoom levels.
Manufacturers are keen to improve the zoom capabilities of phone cameras using intelligent software and AI. I’m intrigued by the Video Boost feature on the Pixel 9 Pro, which uses AI to upscale and stabilize video at the upper end of the 30x zoom range. Alternatively, Samsung’s Space Zoom uses AI to compose multiple images from extreme distances.
Other parts of a phone’s camera system are also crucial for supporting long digital zoom. Apple’s high-resolution sensors, reliable stabilization, and responsive camera app tick all the boxes here, and with strong low-light performance, I could confidently use an iPhone for indoor concert photography. I’d also like to use these great features from further away, especially if I’m going to watch Oasis from high up in the stands.
Why hasn’t Apple done this yet?
Some might say that Apple is waiting to pull an AI ace out of its sleeve to support further digital zoom. Apple has yet to reveal whether Apple Intelligence – its version of on-device AI – will have camera applications beyond image editing. With the iPhone 16 family expected to widely implement Apple Intelligence, we could hear more about it at the September 9 event.
It’s typical of Apple to just not go too far, though. In general, the company would rather offer a relatively limited camera that produces consistently great results than one that’s ambitious but unpredictable. It’s also pretty steadfast in keeping its product lines separate, so don’t expect a Pro Camera System on the base iPhone anytime soon (see also the news that the iPad finally gets a calculator).
Still, I think it’s time for Apple to get a little faster when it comes to digital zoom. I won’t look back with anger (sorry) if Apple decides not to upgrade its digital zoom, but I might choose a different phone for my concert attendance.