- 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 photo quality
The expected launch might still be some eight months off, but we're already hearing numerous leaks and rumors around the Apple iPhone 17 – and the latest tidbit from those in the know suggests the cameras on the Pro and Pro Max models may get both downgrades and upgrades.
According to recognized tipster Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will sport a triple-lens 48MP+48MP+48MP camera on the back – a jump in megapixels from the triple-lens 48MP+48MP+12MP camera fitted to the rear 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 small reduction in size. Generally speaking, the larger the sensor the better, as it's able to capture more light and more detail in whatever it is you're taking a photo of.
Rumors around 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 about the primary camera having a smaller sensor size.
Spot the difference
As for how much difference the changes in sensor size and megapixel rating will make, it's hard to say – especially as modern day phones apply so much image processing to photos and videos after they've been captured. The actual hardware doing the capturing is only partly responsible for picture and clip quality.
If the main camera sensors on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are indeed going to be smaller, it may free up some space for other components – like a bigger battery or a more powerful communications chipset (the rumor is 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 there will be changes here too.
Perhaps you might even want to wait until 2026 and the iPhone 18: there's been talk that the handset will include a variable aperture on the cameras of the Pro and Pro Max models, meaning better low light shots and more control over depth of field.
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