Next Year’s iPhone 16 Pro Could Get a Second 48MP Camera

Apple’s iPhone 15 lineup isn’t quite out yet, and we’ve already been hearing leaks and reports on what to expect from the “iPhone 16” family — a set of iPhone models that are still over 13 months away.

This latest in what’s been an unusually prolific series of recent 2024 iPhone rumors comes from Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu, who released a research note today seen by the folks at MacRumors that suggests that next year’s higher-end iPhones are slated to get a higher-quality 48-megapixel (MP) Ultra Wide camera sensor, joining the 48MP main camera that was introduced with last year’s iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

While the higher-resolution Ultra Wide wouldn’t make nearly as much of a direct impact since that lens isn’t used nearly as often, it would allow for better low-light capture and 48MP ProRAW images when taking 0.5X images. More significantly, with more data to feed its neural engine, Apple could use the better sensor to improve computational photography. It may also allow for 1X optical photos to be taken with the Ultra Wide lens in situations where it could do a better job, using the same method as the iPhone 14 Pro’s 2X zoom.

Both Pu and Kuo also expect that the 48MP sensor will come to this year’s standard iPhone 15 models, so bumping the Ultra Wide to 48MP in the iPhone 16 Pro could be another way of differentiating it from the base models. Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro Max could end up with a Super Telephoto Camera via an enhanced version of the periscope lens system coming to this Year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Wi-Fi 7 Coming to the iPhone 16

Pu also corroborates an earlier report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the iPhone 16 lineup will gain Wi-Fi 7 support. While Pu’s note only refers to the iPhone 16 Pro models, Kuo suggested that it will come to the entire 2024 iPhone family, which seems more likely — if it happens at all.

Although Apple isn’t always the first to embrace new wireless technologies, and Wi-Fi 7 is still a bit on the bleeding edge, it added Wi-Fi 6 to the iPhone 11 in 2019, only a few months after Samsung’s Galaxy S10 became the first smartphone to adopt the new standard. By next fall, Wi-Fi 7 will likely be at the same stage that Wi-Fi 6 was back then.

It’s also notable that Apple hasn’t even embraced Wi-Fi 6E on the iPhone yet. Only the very latest 2023 Macs and M2-powered iPad Pro models support the newer standard, and while it’s expected to come to the iPhone 15 lineup this fall, some reports suggest Apple could limit Wi-Fi 6E to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

If true, it would be the first time Apple has offered better wireless connectivity on its premium iPhone Pro models, which could pave the way for Wi-Fi 7 to be similarly restricted to only the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. While this still seems like an unusual move, it’s hard to rule out, considering that there was a time when we wouldn’t have expected Apple to use older and slower A-series chips in its non-Pro models either.

Over the past several months, other rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 may get under-display Face ID, a larger 6.9-inch display on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and possibly an overall size increase for the Pro models. However, like all rumors — especially early ones — these should be taken with a very healthy dose of skepticism. Even if these things are on Apple’s roadmap, which is far from certain, there’s still plenty of time for things to change between now and next year.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]