200MP cameras may come to the iPhone in 2028
Apple has started testing a 200MP camera sensor, according to information shared (source in Chinese) by prolific leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo. However, those are very early evaluations, and a final product is unlikely to appear before 2028.
That information is backed by earlier rumors that suggested a similar timeframe for an iPhone with a 200MP camera. In January, Morgan Stanley said in an investor note that the feature may be part of what could be the iPhone 21.
Undecided on the supplier
Some of the details shared by the leaker include the claim that Apple hasn’t decided who would provide the 200MP sensor. Apparently, Sony and Samsung are in the mix, but a final decision could be years away.
Sony Lytia 901 could be the sensor Apple uses. | Image by Sony
The sensor itself may be significantly larger than anything we’ve seen on an iPhone before. That could be a 1/1.12”-type sensor, which would be used on a telephoto lens with a variable aperture.
Joining a crowded party
Even if Apple were to add a 200MP sensor on the iPhone 18, the company would join a long list of phones offering the same tech. Samsung has been using 200MP sensors since the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and multiple devices from Xiaomi, Vivo, Honor, and other brands also feature high-resolution cameras.The trend has now moved even further with Oppo’s brand-new Find X9 Ultra, which offers two cameras with 200MP sensors. It’s main camera sensor is the Sony Lytia-901, which is also present on the Vivo X300 Ultra and could be what Apple is currently evaluating, as it is a 1/1.12”-type sensor.
More than numbers
Providing high-quality photos requires more than just a large sensor and extreme resolution. Apple never played the numbers game, but its cameras are consistently among the best performing on the market.
What sounds the most intriguing in this rumor is not the resolution but the size of the sensor. I’ve said before that one of the few things that could improve any camera is getting a larger sensor that can take more light. If Apple does that, we may see a leap in its photo quality.
