There are only a little over two weeks until Apple is expected to launch its iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro range this September 10. But those who simply can’t wait that long now have a raft of information about the next-gen handsets, thanks to a new report packed full of camera details.
Information obtained by AppleInsider from sources they have “worked with for years” reveals a range of exciting camera upgrades, both small and large, that could significantly impact photography across the entire iPhone 16 range. Many of these confirm earlier leaks, but the report also contains important new information.
Most Obvious Change – New Capture Button For All iPhone 16 Models
Perhaps the most obvious change to the iPhone 16 range will be the inclusion of an all-new touch-sensitive capture button, which is now expected to appear on all iPhone 16 devices, not just the Pro and Pro Max variants, as previously thought.
Significantly more advanced than the multifunction action button currently found on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the new capture button is expected to mimic the two-stage shutter buttons found on mirrorless cameras and DSLRs in that you’ll be able to press it gently to activate autofocus (and perhaps other functions), while pressing it down firmly will take the photo.
Sony already offers this function on some premium handsets, such as the Xperia XZ, the key advantage being that you can half-press to lock focus on your subject and then move the camera to achieve a better composition, keeping the original subject in focus. However, Apple’s capture button is expected to go much further by allowing you to slide a finger along the length of the button to control a range of camera functions, such as zooming in and out.
These features in combination mean you’ll be able to unlock the phone, launch the camera, focus, adjust settings and take a photo with a single finger without having to touch the screen at all, making the iPhone 16 range feel more like a dedicated camera when you need it to.
iPhone 16 / iPhone 16 Plus: Important Camera Changes
- Primary Camera Specs Unchanged—The “non-Pro” iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to retain dual rear lens setups. These will feature a 48-megapixel primary camera with a wide f/1.6 aperture, delivering 1x and 2x “optical quality” zoom alongside the familiar 0.5x ultrawide camera.
- New Camera Layout—However, the layout of the two rear lenses is expected to change, with the next-gen iPhones aligning them vertically rather than the diagonal layout found on the current iPhone 15 range. This vertical lens alignment, similar to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, reduces unwanted parallax shifting effects when switching between cameras, especially noticeable when zooming in and out while shooting video. It should also make it technically possible to shoot immersive spacial video for Apple’s Vision Pro headset, a feature currently reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which already use a vertical rear camera layout.
- Improved Ultrawide lens—The 12-megapixel ultrawide camera is expected to receive a brighter f/2.2 lens (up from f/2.4), matching the specs of the Pro and Pro Max models. This may seem like a small change numerically but, all other factors remaining equal, this new f/2.2 lens would let in around 19% more light than the current model, resulting in clearer snaps.
- New Macro Photography Mode—“Non Pro” iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to gain a macro photography mode for the first time, currently available only on the Pro and Pro Max models. Although the report doesn’t go into detail, the addition of a macro mode hints at a more capable ultrawide camera overall. Note that, unlike the basic iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the current iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max ultrawide cameras feature autofocus, a key factor in enabling the lens to focus close enough for sharp macro shots. If the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are to gain macro capability, then it suggests they might gain an autofocus ultrawide camera too.
iPhone 16 Pro / iPhone 16 Pro Max: Smaller Handset To Gain Most
- Primary Camera Specs Unchanged—Primary camera sensor and lens are expected to remain unchanged: a 48-megapixel sensor topped with an f/1.78 aperture lens, offering 12-megapixel “optical quality” shots at up to 2x.
- iPhone 16 Pro: New 5x Zoom Lens—The biggest camera upgrade for iPhone 16 Pro users will be the inclusion of a new 5x telephoto lens. Available for the first time on the smaller (non-Max) model, this replaces the 3x telephoto lens found on the current iPhone 15 Pro and brings Apple’s best zoom capabilities now to both the Pro and Pro Max models. The new iPhone 16 Pro 5x telephoto camera is expected to retain the 12-megapixel sensor and f/2.8 aperture from the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
- iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max: New 48-megapixel Ultrawide Camera—While the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to receive an improved ultrawide camera, closer to the current iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Pro range will be pulling further ahead with an all-new 48-megapixel ultrawide camera delivering up to four times the resolution of the current iPhone 15 Pro models. According to the report, this camera will be able to switch between 24-megapixel and 48-megapixel modes much like the primary camera. This should result in more detailed macro shots when shooting at 48 megapixels, better low-light performance in 12-megapixel mode and better quality digital zoom between 0.5x and 1x magnification.
- iPhone 16 Pro / iPhone 16 Pro Max: New Video Mode And File Format—The new iPhone 16 range is also tipped to add support for the jpeg-xl image format which delivers smaller files than standard jpegs (at the same quality) as well as native support for HDR. It’s not clear at this point how Apple intends to use jpeg-xl on the iPhone 16 as, while Apple’s Safari browser sports the format, Google dropped support for jpeg-xl from Chrome in 2022. The report further claims that both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will enable a 3K video recording mode at up to 120 frames per second in the Dolby Vision HDR format.
All will be revealed this September 10 when Apple is expected to reveal the iPhone 16 range alongside new watches and AirPods. Well, perhaps not all, as Apple’s much-vaunted Apple Intelligence AI features aren’t expected to arrive until about a month later.
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