- The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could have a smaller camera sensor
- However, an increase in megapixels is also expected
- The changes may not have a major impact on photo quality
The expected launch could still be around eight months away, but we're already hearing plenty of leaks and rumors surrounding the Apple iPhone 17 – and the latest tidbit from those in the know suggests that the cameras on the Pro and Pro Max models may receive both downgrades and upgrades.
According to respected tipster Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a 48MP+48MP+48MP camera on the back with three lenses – a megapixel jump over the 48MP+48MP+ camera with three Lenses 12 MP camera on the back of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
That's the upgrade, but the downside is that the primary 48MP camera is expected to use a 1/1.3-inch sensor instead of a 1/1.28-inch sensor – a small reduction in size. In general, the larger the sensor, the better, as it can capture more light and more detail in what you're photographing.
Rumors of a telephoto camera upgrade from 12MP to 48MP have been circulating since last year, but this is the first time we've heard of a smaller sensor size on the main camera.
Spot the difference
It's hard to say what difference the changes will make to sensor size and megapixel rating – especially since modern phones apply so much image processing to photos and videos after they're taken. The actual hardware doing the recording is only partially responsible for the image and clip quality.
If the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max's main camera sensors actually get smaller, that could free up some space for other components – like a larger battery or a more powerful communications chipset (rumor has it that the 2025 iPhones will be the first to have one uses Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip manufactured by Apple.
This particular rumor says nothing about what might happen with the cameras on the standard iPhone 17. As you'll learn in our iPhone 16 review, the current model and iPhone 16 Plus use a 48MP + 12MP back dual-lens camera setup – and there may be changes here too.
You might even want to wait until 2026 and the iPhone 18: there has been talk that the phone will have a variable aperture on the cameras on the Pro and Pro Max models, allowing for better low-light shots and more control over the Depth of field means.