6 Features We Expect To See In The iPhone 16 Camera System, Based On The Latest Leaks And Rumours

Your iPhone features the best pocket camera system for most needs. Be it casual or hardcore professional, people rely on its camera system for reliable photography and videography. Hence, when the next generation iPhone is rumoured to bring bigger changes to its camera system, our hopes are bound to rise. The iPhone 16’s camera, from what we hear, appears to offer a complete solution for all photography needs.

That’s big, considering the major upgrades that the iPhone 15 brought to the camera department a year ago. A bigger 48-megapixel sensor allowed Apple’s clever algorithms to improve detailing and sharpness while improving colour science and low-light performance. The higher megapixel count also allowed for 2x magnification without adding a dedicated telephoto camera. However, the dated ultrawide sensor left a lot to be desired.

Moreover, as a tool for photography, the iPhone 15 lacks any dedicated hardware or software features to quickly access the camera app and fiddle with the basic parameters. Some of the professional features are still hidden deep within the Settings app.

This is where we expect the iPhone 16 to deliver. With a customisation-friendly iOS 18 at the helm, the iPhone 16 could finally start emphasising creators and give them some tools to make even better use of the hardware at their disposal.

Hence, let’s look at all the leaks and rumours surrounding the iPhone 16’s camera specs and find out if 2024 is finally the year when the iPhone starts caring for creators.

6 features we might see in the iPhone 16 camera

1. A new ultrawide camera

The iPhone has stuck to a basic ultrawide camera sensor for years and while it does the job, it no longer stands on par with what most Android-based flagships offer.

The iPhone 16, however, intends to do something about it. Based on the latest leak, the iPhone 16 Pro variants will feature a 48-megapixel sensor for the ultrawide shooter, which coupled with with a larger aperture lens setup, could allow for a huge boost in image quality. The vanilla iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will stick to the old 12-megapixel ultrawide camera but get a larger aperture lens and the ability to take macro photos, just like the Pro models.

2. Uniform zoom on all Pro models

The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to feature the same zooming capabilities. Similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro are rumoured to feature the same 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. Compared to the older 3x telephoto lens, the new setup would allow for better magnification and portrait mode photos. That said, we expect Apple to upgrade the image sensor to a higher resolution unit.

As for the regular non-Pro iPhone 16 models, they are going to rely on the main sensor’s 2x digital magnification for zoom functions.

3. A dedicated Capture button

For the first time in almost two decades of its existence, the iPhone will gain a new button for the camera functions. Rumours suggest that this new Capture button will be a capacitive key dedicated to handling some key camera features. Within the Camera app, the key will act as a two-stage shutter button, wherein a half-press will lock on the exposure and focus. The full press will take the photo or start recording a video.

The leak report also sheds light on some added functionality. Swipe actions on the button will allow the user to adjust zoom levels, exposure settings and other variable parameters.

4. Support for JPEG XL

After troubles with the compatibility of HEIF format, Apple is rumoured to bring support for JPEG XL format with the iPhone 16 range. For those in the unknown, the JPEG XL format offers notable improvements in image quality and compression ratios.

5. Big improvements to video recording

The iPhone 15 series has been capable of recording 4K videos at 60 fps, 1080p videos at 120 fps and 240 fps. With the iPhone 16, Apple will add another option for those who want higher frame rates without losing out on quality. The rumours suggest that the iPhone 16 range will be able to record 3K videos at 120 fps, which could improve the slow-motion video quality substantially.

6. New design layout for the vanilla iPhone 16

And of course, the most talked-about change to the iPhone 16’s camera department has to be the design. After changing to a diagonal layout for the rear camera lenses with the iPhone 13 and sticking with it until the iPhone 15, Apple is going back to the older ways of stacking the two camera lenses vertically. It will be a lot similar to the iPhone 12’s layout minus the squarish camera hump.

(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Vựa Táo via Unsplash)