Your next iPhone could have a massive 200MP camera

The next iPhone could be gunning for our list of the best camera phones, if recent rumours prove to be true. 

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According to Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors), Apple is actively testing a 200MP telephoto camera sensor for a future iPhone, and it could arrive as soon as next year.

The sensor in question is said to be a large 1/1.2-inch unit, which is unusually large for a typical smartphone zoom lens. Telephoto cameras in most handsets use much smaller sensors, so this could provide a significant step up in light capture and detail when shooting at a distance.

If that sounds ambitious, it’s because Android flagships are already heading this way. The upcoming Vivo X300 Ultra is rocking a 200MP periscope-style telephoto camera with a large sensor. And while Samsung has used 200MP sensors in its Galaxy Ultra phones for several generations, those have primarily been used in the main cameras rather than dedicated zoom lenses, with minimal updates on the sensor front.

This isn’t the first time that a 200MP sensor has been linked to the iPhone. Earlier in the year, the same leaker suggested Apple’s supply chain was discussing the technology, but that it hadn’t yet appeared in engineering prototypes. This latest claim suggests that’s now changed, with testing apparently underway.

If true, it’s a pretty major change for the Cupertino tech giant. For years, Apple has focused on refining its existing 48MP camera systems rather than chasing headline-grabbing megapixel counts. 

As for the potential benefits of a 200MP telephoto camera? Well, the higher-resolution telephoto sensor would, in theory, allow for more detailed images, greater flexibility when cropping, and higher-resolution photos overall – particularly useful for zoom photography.

As with all Apple rumours, there’s no guarantee that any of this is true. But it’s certainly not the wildest rumour we’ve heard. We’ll have all the details in September, when the next iPhone launches. Whether or not it’ll land with a juicy 200MP camera, though, remains to be seen.

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Esat Dedezade Contributor

About

Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.