It’s that time of year again. No, not Diwali. It’s the annual iPhone launch. On September 9, Apple will host the Glowtime event where it will unveil the iPhone 16 series. The series will likely include four smartphones: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. While we won’t know the final specifications until tomorrow’s launch, which begins at 10:30 PM IST on Monday, a few details about the phone’s camera have already leaked ahead of the launch. And they all suggest that the iPhones will get some major upgrades.
The iPhone 16 series will introduce a number of camera and design upgrades, updating both the standard and Pro models. According to recent reports, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will feature a dual-camera setup on the back, similar to the previous models but with some notable improvements. The main camera will retain the 48-megapixel wide-angle lens with 1x and 2x zoom, while the secondary ultra-wide-angle lens will offer 0.5x zoom for capturing wider scenes. These cameras will be arranged vertically, reminiscent of the iPhone 11’s design.
While the main camera’s specs remain the same, with an f/1.6 aperture and 2x telephoto, the ultra-wide-angle lens gets a significant upgrade, moving from an f/2.4 aperture to a faster f/2.2 aperture, allowing more light to hit the sensor, which should improve low-light performance.
The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max models are expected to see more extensive changes. Although the overall design is the same as previous models, the Pro line will continue to feature a triple camera setup: wide-angle, ultra-wide-angle and telephoto. The main camera will continue to be 48 megapixels with an aperture of f/1.78 and will be capable of taking 2x optical 12 megapixel telephoto photos. The telephoto lens will remain unchanged at 12 megapixels with an aperture of f/2.8.
A major upgrade on the Pro models will be the ultra-wide-angle lens, which is expected to jump to 48 megapixels and utilize pixel binning technology. This allows for flexible pixel sizes and improves low-light performance by switching between full resolution and quad pixel mode. A 48 megapixel ProRaw camera is also rumored to be included, giving professional users more flexibility in post-processing.
Another exciting feature expected across the iPhone 16 series is the addition of a new Capture button. This dedicated button will give users more control over their photography experience, allowing them to adjust focus and zoom levels when taking photos. The Capture button is located in the bottom right corner of the device and naturally aligns with the user’s finger when the phone is held in landscape mode. It is speculated that this button could replace the camera’s on-screen shortcut on the lock screen, providing more intuitive, physical controls for photography.
With a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5x telephoto lens, the iPhone 16 Pro models promise significant improvements over the 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and 3x telephoto lenses on the iPhone 15 Pro, further underscoring Apple’s focus on mobile photography.
