Massive iPhone 16 leak just revealed camera upgrades and specs for all four new iPhones

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Get ready for lots of camera upgrades

Four alleged iPhone 16 dummies, featuring their sizes written above them.
(Image credit: Sonny Dickson / X)

If you think the new iPhone 16 series is just going to have ho-hum camera upgrades, you might want to think again. An exclusive new report has just spilled all the camera changes coming to the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, as well as the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

According to AppleInsider, there are some pretty big changes for all four models, starting with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. So our best camera phone list could see a pretty big shakeup soon. 

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus cameras

iPhone 16 render front and back

(Image credit: Future)

As previously reported, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will sport dual cameras just like the iPhone 15 series, but they will be vertically stacked in order to provide spatial video recording. This will allow you to view 3D videos using the Meta Quest 3 headset or the Apple Vision Pro. 

The main camera will stick with 48MP resoulution and f/1.6 aperture and give you the equivalent of 2x telephoto zoom. However, the ultra wide camera is tipped for a faster f/2.2 aperture (down from f/2.4). This will enable better low-light performance, which is a good thing since the Pixel 9 series is proving even better than the iPhone 15 so far. 

Another tidbit is that the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are both said to support macro photography — this would be a first. 

In addition, Apple Insider says that the rumored Capture Button is coming to all four new iPhone 16 models. This capacitive button will be located in the lower right corner of the design, which means when held in landscape mode the button will be right underneath your index finger on the top right side. 

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported how this Capture button would work. You could half press the Capture button for auto focus, fully press to shoot and slide your finger along the button to zoom in and out. 

iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max cameras 

Unofficial renders of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max from the front and back

(Image credit: MacRumors)

For those willing to spend a bit more, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are tipped for several camera upgrades as well. 

You'll find a 48MP wide sensor on both models with f/1.78 aperture and 1.22 micrometer pixels. The biggest change is that the regular iPhone 16 Pro is allegedly getting the same 12MP tetraprism 5x zoom lens previously reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This has an f/2.8 aperture.

It gets better. The ultrawide camera on the new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will be going from 12MP to 48MP, so you'll be able to crop in and still get great details. AppleInsider says you'll get 0.7 micrometer pixels at full resolution and 1.4 in quad pixel mode with pixel binning. It's just speculation, but Apple may extend ProRAW support to the ultrawide lens, too.

On the video front, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max may support 3K video at 120 frames per second, complete with Dolby Vision. 

iPhone 16 cameras outlook 

When you add in support for a potential new format called JPEG-XL, the iPhone 16 series could have seriously improved cameras versus the iPhone 15. So maybe Apple won't be pinning all of its hopes on Apple Intelligence after all for getting people to upgrade.

Stay tuned to our iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro hubs as we get closer to the rumored Sept. 10 launch date. And check out our Apple September event hub for all the latest leaks. 

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Mark Spoonauer
Mark Spoonauer

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.