Next year, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be the first Apple model that will have three 48 megapixel cameras, according to with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. This update will include a new 48MP CIS 1/2.6″ sensor, replacing the existing 12MP 1/3.1″ sensor expected to be used in the iPhone 16 Pro models this year.
Room Upgrades
The new Tetraprism camera promises improved photo quality and a better zoom function. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models will get Tetraprism telephoto lenses in 2024, offering at least 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom. This is a significant improvement over the current iPhone 15 Pro models, where the Pro features a 12MP telephoto lens with 3x zoom, while the Pro Max uses an updated telephoto lens system that allows for 5x zoom.
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Kuo notes that the updated Tetraprism camera requires newly designed prisms, which must be smaller to reduce the height of the camera. The complexity of this design may limit the initial availability of the technology on Pro Max models.
Comparison with current models
The analyst report confirms the predictions of Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities. Pu said the updated 48MP telephoto camera on the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be optimized for use with Apple Vision Pro. The current models of the iPhone 15 Pro can capture spatial videos with 3D depth for playback in Vision Pro, using main and ultra-wide lenses in the landscape.
The iPhone 16 Pro models are also expected to have a 48MP ultra-wide lens, making the iPhone 17 Pro Max the first model with a full 48-megapixel rear camera system. For comparison, the current models of the iPhone 15 Pro have a main lens of 48MP, but the rest of the lenses are 12MP.
Future predictions
Kuo predicts that the 2027 iPhone will have an even more improved Tetraprism camera with better optical zoom. This improvement will probably be achieved by increasing the number of prisms for greater illumination, increasing the complexity of its design. As innovations continue, future models will feature increasingly advanced camera features, keeping Apple at the forefront of technology.