iPhone 13 Pro Max leak just revealed a key upgrade

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The iPhone 13 Pro Max could get a neat upgrade to improve your low light photography

iPhone 13 Pro colors
(Image credit: EverythingApplePro)

The iPhone 13 Pro Max could be a master of low-light photography thanks to an upgrade to its wide-angle lens.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via AppleInsider), the iPhone 13 Pro Max's wide-angle lens will have an f/1.5 aperture, whereas current iPhone 12 Pro models have an f/1.6 aperture. And though on the face of it this is a small upgrade, every little helps when it comes to gathering light.

A wider aperture means more light will be able to pass through the iPhone 13 Pro Max’s camera lens. Not only will that offer better performance at night and in other low-light conditions, it also means the possibility of an increased bokeh effect in portrait mode — perfect for attractively blurred backgrounds.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max already offers fantastic performance, and tops our list of the best camera phones. Even if the iPhone 13 Pro Max only offers a minor improvement over the previous model, we’re looking at one fantastic piece of kit.

Unfortunately, the other models in the iPhone 13 range aren't expected to get this upgrade; instead they’ll reportedly have an f/1.6 aperture wide-angle lens, similar to the one included in the iPhone 12 line-up.

Kuo did reveal that all iPhone 13 models will also feature a 7P lens stack in the wide-angle camera, which can help optimize the phone’s light-gathering and reduce the amount of chromatic aberration. It’s another small upgrade, but it’s one that will continue to improve the iPhone’s camera performance — especially if rumors that Apple will be adding 7P lenses to all rear iPhone camera lenses are true.

Other rumors have suggested that the iPhone 13 could get several more camera improvements when it arrives later this year. These include a new “folded lens” camera that will boost the phone’s optical zoom performance by stacking the lenses with a periscope-like vertical design, instead of the current horizontal design. 

There’s also talk of a dedicated astrophotography mode, which a wider aperture could help facilitate, as well as boosted ultra-wide camera lenses that feature optical image stabilization and automatic focus. Kuo himself has also predicted that the ultra-wide lenses may get a wider aperture this year, with an upgrade from the current f/2.4 aperture to f/1.8.

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Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.