Analysts say iPhone 16 Pro will feature a 48-million-pixel sensor

The iPhone 15 Pro, with its impressive camera hardware, has achieved enhanced low-light photography and videography capabilities, earning it the MKBHD Best Camera Award in 2023. Recent updates on the iPhone 16 series suggest Apple intends to further augment the camera module’s hardware specifications. The ultra-wide camera of the iPhone 16 Pro is expected to feature a 48-million-pixel sensor.

Renowned industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared insights on Medium about the iPhone 16 Pro. He revealed that its ultra-wide lens would be equipped with a 48-million-pixel sensor, measuring 1/2.6 inches. In contrast, the iPhone 15 Pro’s ultra-wide lens houses a 12-million-pixel sensor with a size of 1/3.6 inches. This upgrade in the iPhone 16 Pro suggests a significant enhancement in ultra-wide photography, particularly in low-light conditions, due to increased light intake. If true, this will mark Apple’s first upgrade to the ultra-wide sensor in an iPhone, notably jumping from 12 million pixels in previous models to 48 million pixels. This means that, in the new iPhone models, only the telephoto lens would continue to use a 12-million-pixel sensor.

On the software front, the iPhone 15 Pro introduced “pixel binning” technology for its primary camera, combining imaging results from four pixels into one. This innovation allows for photos with greater detail and improved performance in low light. It is rumored that Apple plans to implement this same technology in the ultra-wide lens of the iPhone 16 Pro.

These reports about the iPhone 16 Pro upgrading its ultra-wide sensor are not entirely new. In August 2023, Jeff Pu, an analyst also suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro would feature a 48-million-pixel camera, lending credibility to these claims.