So far, most iPhone 14 Pro camera rumors have focused on the main sensor, which will reportedly jump from 12MP on the iPhone 13 Pro to 48MP this year, but it sounds like the ultra-wide snapper could be in for a major upgrade too.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo (opens in new tab) – an analyst with a great track record for Apple information – in a tweet spotted by Apple Insider (opens in new tab), the company is using larger 1.4µm pixels in the ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. That’s up from 1.0µm pixels on the current models.
This new camera will have pixels that are around 40% larger then, and that means this camera should perform a lot better in low light, as larger pixels can capture more light.
So while we’re not currently expecting an increase in megapixels on this sensor – with 12MP looking likely – it could be in for a big upgrade in other ways.
As ever we’d take leaks like this with a pinch of salt, but we’re now only a week away from the September 7 launch of the iPhone 14 range, and this close to launch the leaks tend to have a high degree of accuracy.
Analysis: the telephoto could be left out of the upgrades
It’s sounding like the cameras on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max could be a huge improvement, with big changes coming to both the primary and ultra-wide snappers, and 8K video recording also rumored for inclusion.
But what about the telephoto? So far, most signs suggest this won’t be in for any significant upgrades. That means you can probably expect a 12MP camera with 3x optical zoom once again, and that’s a spec that’s looking increasingly dated.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – and a number of other Samsung phones – offers 10x optical zoom, while even the likes of the Pixel 6 Pro offers 4x optical zoom, and there are many other examples of Android phones that can zoom further than Apple’s.
Still, we might only be waiting another year until Apple starts to catch up, as there is talk of a 5x zoom camera coming to the iPhone 15.