Expect future iPhone cameras to have 200MP sensors

The rear cameras on Pro iPhone models are likely to get high-resolution sensors first.

A future rear camera for the iPhone could get a giant upgrade, with a prolific leaker claiming Apple is testing a 200-megapixel sensor.

Apple has periodically improved the physical hardware of its camera sensor, alongside computational photography changes. While Apple’s current cameras include 48MP sensors, it is also looking to add even higher resolutions in the future.

According to “Digital Chat Station” on Weibo on Tuesday, Apple is testing a 200-megapixel camera sensor. The post doesn’t go into detail, such as which camera it will be used in or when it will arrive, but that it will be a stratospheric resolution.

It is also unknown where the sensor is being sourced from, but the likely candidate may be Samsung. Its flagship Galaxy devices frequently include high-resolution cameras, up to 200 megapixels in models like the Galaxy S25 Edge.

Since Samsung’s subsidiaries are participants in Apple’s supply chain, it means there’s a chance Samsung’s cameras are being considered for future inclusion in the iPhone.

A high resolution eventuality

While testing a sensor is no guarantee that Apple will actually use it in a future model, there’s a good chance for it to become a reality, eventually. Just about every iPhone rumor can be true, on an infinite timeline, and Tuesday’s prediction doesn’t have a target date.

Apple has been gradually improving the cameras in its Pro models, with the main Fusion and Ultra Wide cameras using 48-megapixel sensors each in the iPhone 16 Pro range. Though the Telephoto in the iPhone 16 Pro is still only a 12MP sensor, the version in the iPhone 17 Pro has been the subject of similar upgrade rumors.

It’s not just the rear cameras that have been discussed by leakers. There have even been discussions about the front-facing camera on the iPhone 17 family going from a 12MP sensor to a 24MP version.

Since Apple uses the imaging capabilities of the iPhone heavily in its marketing efforts, it stands to reason that it will keep making the cameras better in various ways. Apple has a vested interest to keep ahead of the curve with its hardware, and to offer the best photographic experience possible.

It may not be immediate, but eventually the 48MP sensors will be switched out for something better, and whatever replaces them will get changed down the road too.

A 200MP or better sensor is almost certain to happen. The real question is when it will take place.