According to a recent report, Apple may introduce the outstanding 48-megapixel primary camera found in its iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max to its non-Pro iPhone 15 models.
While the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus closely resembled the iPhone 13 in terms of hardware, Apple seems poised to introduce significant improvements to the upcoming iPhone 15 lineup, expected later this year. According to a report by analyst Jeff Pu of Haitong Intl Tech Research, which was cited by 9to5Mac, substantial camera upgrades are anticipated across all iPhone models in 2023. The most notable enhancements are anticipated for the midrange iPhone 15 and 15 Plus.
Pu predicts that both of these smartphones will feature a three-stacked 48-megapixel sensor behind a “wide” lens. Notably, Apple’s current use of a 48-megapixel camera is exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max lines. This suggests a high likelihood that the same sensor and optical system found in the iPhone 14 Pro will be integrated into the midrange devices. However, it’s worth noting that these smartphones are not expected to include a telephoto lens or LiDAR technology, as reported by 9to5Mac.
Apple’s 48-megapixel sensor is truly impressive and marks a significant advancement in imaging capability, a departure from what PetaPixel has observed in the company’s flagship smartphones for a while. The sensor’s ability to capture images is exceptionally sharp, and its larger physical size enables it to create a certain degree of background defocus without depending heavily on computational photography.
Due to the sensor’s substantial size, even Apple’s 2x digital zoom feature, typically just a digital crop, not only appears to be usable but actually produces high-quality results. Details that would typically be lost in such a crop remain intact.
Apple seems to recognize that simply packing a smartphone with a high number of megapixels doesn’t guarantee a superior camera. As stated in PetaPixel’s review of the iPhone 14 Pro, “I’m not impressed when I see a 200-megapixel smartphone announced because I’m not convinced that the utilization of those pixels will result in outstanding quality.”
In this case, Apple demonstrates that with just 48 megapixels, it can produce a final 12-megapixel image that could easily be mistaken for one captured with a full-sized camera, as the reviewer notes, “I would swear was taken on a full-size camera if I didn’t know better.”
The prospect of this remarkable sensor being integrated into more affordable smartphones is exciting news, as it would extend enhanced photography capabilities to a broader audience.
