The cameras are often one of the most exciting aspects of any new iPhone, and that’s especially true with the Pro and Pro Max models. These phones are typically among the best camera phones you can buy, often featuring better sensors and lenses than the base and Plus models.
That will likely be the case with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. While we don’t know anything for sure about these upcoming phones yet – and won’t know until they’re announced, likely in September – we’ve already heard a flurry of leaks and rumors that give us a good idea of what to expect from their respective camera setups.
Below, we’ve detailed our predictions for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max cameras. Where rumors haven’t been consistent, we’ve covered all possibilities – assuming the leaks are credible – but where possible we’ve taken an educated guess as to what we think we’ll see from the iPhone 16 Pro’s cameras.
iPhone 16 Pro camera predictions
| iPhone 16 Pro camera specs (rumors) | |
|---|---|
| Main camera: | 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.28 inch |
| Ultra wide angle camera: | 48 MP, 1/2.6 inch |
| Telephoto camera: | 12 MP, f/2.8, 1/3.06 inch, 120mm (5x optical zoom) |
| Front camera: | 12 MP, f/1.9, 1/3.6 inch |
The iPhone 16 Pro could come with two significant camera upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro. The first of these is said to be a new ultra-wide camera, with numerous reports suggesting that the iPhone 16 Pro will have a 48MP sensor, rather than the 12MP one its predecessor featured.
According to some sources, the device would not only have more megapixels, but also a larger 1/2.6-inch sensor, which could be a significant improvement.
The other big upgrade, which we’ve heard repeatedly, is a 5x telephoto camera instead of the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x. This is less exciting in some ways, though, as it’s expected to be the exact same 5x camera we’ve seen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max (that’s a 12MP f/2.8).
We’re fairly certain both upgrades will happen, since they’ve been mentioned so often. However, we’re less certain whether there will be changes to the main sensor as well.
On the iPhone 15 Pro, this is a 48MP f/1.8 camera, with a 1/1.28-inch sensor size. However, leaker Digital chat station claims the iPhone 16 Pro’s sensor size will increase to 1/1.14-inch, but still at 48 megapixels.
That said, a more recent leak – albeit from a source with less of a track record – suggests that there will be no change to the iPhone 16 Pro’s main camera at all. At this point, we’re not sure who is right here, but if we had to guess, we’d say this main camera won’t get an upgrade, given that it seems unlikely that Apple will upgrade all three rear cameras in a single year.
We’ve also heard that the front-facing camera likely won’t be getting an upgrade on the iPhone 16 Pro, meaning it’ll likely return to 12MP. However, one source suggests that one or more of the iPhone 16 Pro’s lenses will feature a new type of coating, which should help to 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 (rumors) | |
|---|---|
| Main camera: | 48 MP, f/1.8, 1/1.14 inch |
| Ultra wide angle camera: | 48 MP, 1/2.6 inch |
| Telephoto camera: | 12 MP, f/2.8, 1/3.06 inch, 120mm (5x optical zoom) |
| Front camera: | 12 MP, f/1.9, 1/3.6 inch |
The iPhone 16 Pro Max will reportedly get the same 48MP ultra-wide camera as the iPhone 16 Pro, described above. This would be an upgrade over the current model’s 12MP ultra-wide camera, and if the iPhone 16 Pro gets it, we’d fully expect the iPhone 16 Pro Max to get it too.
Like the iPhone 16 Pro, the iPhone 16 Pro Max may also get 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 get a new main sensor, which one source says isn’t coming to the iPhone 16 Pro. It apparently remains at 48MP though, so it might not be a drastic upgrade. This could be the larger 1/1.14-inch sensor that another source mentioned above in relation to the iPhone 16 Pro.
There’s currently no indication that the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s selfie camera will get an upgrade over the current 12MP camera, and the telephoto camera likely won’t get an upgrade either.
That said, some early leaks have suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could get a “super telephoto” camera, which would increase the zoom range from the current 5x to 10x or beyond. Mind you, we haven’t heard any talk of that particular upgrade recently, so we doubt it’ll happen.