iPhone 16 Pro Max Why no large sensors in iPhone cameras, technical or cost reasons?

[whitedragon101]

Main sensor
The main iPhone sensor since the 14 Pro has an area of 72mm2 or 1/1.28”. That’s similar to Pixel and Galaxy S but about 1/2 of the 1” sensors (128mm2) in some of the new Chinese phones. Is there a technical reason Apple (also Google and Samsung) don’t use this in their flagships or is it just cost?

Ultra wide and telephoto
These sensors are much smaller and much lower quality than the main sensor. Is there a technical reason here for this or just cost. An iPhone ultra with 3 full quality sensors would be amazing.

 

[h.gilbert]

My guess is it's basically the same reason they don't have 120Hz on their standard models despite most phones these days having it - they're happy with their sales as is and if they introduce all these features too quickly they'll soon run out of ideas for the future.

This year is all about AI, next year I think will be more hardware focussed.

 

[The Game 161]

Main sensor
The main iPhone sensor since the 14 Pro has an area of 72mm2 or 1/1.28”. That’s similar to Pixel and Galaxy S but about 1/2 of the 1” sensors (128mm2) in some of the new Chinese phones. Is there a technical reason Apple (also Google and Samsung) don’t use this in their flagships or is it just cost?

Ultra wide and telephoto
These sensors are much smaller and much lower quality than the main sensor. Is there a technical reason here for this or just cost. An iPhone ultra with 3 full quality sensors would be amazing.

Because they are so far ahead in overall sales they don't feel the need to do so. Cost is also a factor and it is more expensive for better sensors.

you can call it playing safe or being lazy.

 

[Pressure]

Hopefully the Sony Lytia LYT-900 will be available for the next iPhone. It isn't in any phone yet.

50MP, 1-inch stacked CMOS image sensor (16.384 mm diagonal) with a pixel size of 1.6 μm and all pixel auto focus.

 

[Pakaku]

This year is all about AI

Oh boy, the ever-helpful AI that keeps smudging all of the photos that I take on my +$1,000 device

 

[Pressure]

Oh boy, the ever-helpful AI that keeps smudging all of the photos that I take on my +$1,000 device

Shoot in ProRaw JPEG-XL Lossless or Lossy 😅

 

[whitedragon101]

Hopefully the Sony Lytia LYT-900 will be available for the next iPhone. It isn't in any phone yet.

50MP, 1-inch stacked CMOS image sensor (16.384 mm diagonal) with a pixel size of 1.6 μm and all pixel auto focus.

If they used that for the 24mm and used the current main sensor for the wide / telephoto that would be epic.

 

[iPhone2019]

Hopefully the Sony Lytia LYT-900 will be available for the next iPhone. It isn't in any phone yet.

50MP, 1-inch stacked CMOS image sensor (16.384 mm diagonal) with a pixel size of 1.6 μm and all pixel auto focus.

The iPhone 14 PRO, 15 PRO, and 16 PRO have used the same sensor size for 3 years, 1/1.28. The iPhone 17 Pro will have a 1/1.14 sensor size, and if they keep the same size for 3 years again, so will the iPhone 18 Pro and 19 Pro. Then we will see a 1-inch sensor from Apple. Many years behind the Chinese flagships.

 

[JPack]

Feature rationing.

If Apple gave 8GB memory to every iPhone 12, AI would be possible, but then who’s buying iPhone 16?

If Apple delivered mechanical aperture today like Pura 70, then who’s buying iPhone 17 or 18?

 

[The Game 161]

Hopefully the Sony Lytia LYT-900 will be available for the next iPhone. It isn't in any phone yet.

50MP, 1-inch stacked CMOS image sensor (16.384 mm diagonal) with a pixel size of 1.6 μm and all pixel auto focus.

it is

vivo 100 ultra
oppo find x7 ultra
xiaomi 14 ultra

all use this main sensor

 

[Pressure]

it is

vivo 100 ultra
oppo find x7 ultra
xiaomi 14 ultra

all use this main sensor

That nice to see 👍🏼

I stand corrected.

 

[F23]

Sith Lord Tim is saving features for future iPhones. All part of his master plan.

 

[bradman83]

Honestly it comes down to engineering compromises based on current technology. Larger sensors require larger optics, and the Chinese phones listed above like the Vivo 100 Ultra, Oppo Find X7 Ultra, and Xiaomi 14 Ultra all have absolutely enormous camera bumps, even compared to the ones found on the 16 Pro Max.

I suspect most users responding to this post would be okay with a larger camera bump for image quality improvements, but there are also a lot of people who think the camera bumps are already too big, so Apple (and Samsung, and Google) need to balance those competing design needs.

 

[satchmo]

I forget which Apple exec said once, ‘we set out every year to make the best iPhone possible’.

I’m guessing securing millions of a specific sensor could be a challenge given Apple quantities. But given iPhones are designed a few years in advance, a the roadmap should enable them to order whatever they need for a given year.

 

[Chuckeee]

Sith Lord Tim is saving features for future iPhones. All part of his master plan.

He is not a Sith Lord, he is the duly elected Emperor CEO. Keep your slanderous rumors to yourself, you repel scum.

BTW I agree, Apple often reserves technology update for future iPhones and that is likely the case with the camera.

 

[subjonas]

Anybody know if it’s possible for multiple lenses to share one big sensor? If not now then foreseeable future?

 

[bradman83]

Anybody know if it’s possible for multiple lenses to share one big sensor? If not now then foreseeable future?

Theoretically yes but there are a lot of practical barriers here.

Any setup with all three lenses share a path to the same sensor isn't viable. Unlike traditional cameras, smartphones don't have physical camera shutters (the device that quickly opens and closes to expose the sensor to light). They all use electronic shutters, largely to facilitate multi-exposure HDR shots. So if all three lenses had a path to the main sensor at the same time it would be challenging to shut out light from the other lenses.

Any sort of rotating/interchangeable lens solution has its own challenges. Different focal lengths, at the same aperture, usually require different physical sizes for the lens assembly. Any sort of rotating interface might produce differently sized camera bumps. Also, dust is the enemy of digital camera sensors, so having any sort of moving part in the camera assembly opens the door for that. On a full frame, 35mm film-equivalent sensor dust is a nuisance in terms of appearing on images; on a smaller sensor it could be a dealbreaker for a lot of shots.

 

[ToddJ]

I just wish they would get rid of the lens flare…they have yet to do that (I might be using the wrong term though lol)

 

[F23]

My prediction for the upcoming camera changes:
iPhone 17 Pro - 48 MP Ultra Wide bigger sensor
iPhone 18 Pro - 48 MP Telephoto
iPhone 19 Pro - 48 MP Telephoto bigger sensor

iPhone XX Steve Edition - 10 100 MP 8K Cameras covering the entire back, UltraReal Spatial Video capability, Steve Jobs Hologram Projector incorporated into the lenses, Siri will become Steve, Apple Intelligence will produce a 4K holographic image of Steve Jobs as the new assistant.

You're welcome Tim.

 

[subjonas]

Theoretically yes but there are a lot of practical barriers here.

Any setup with all three lenses share a path to the same sensor isn't viable. Unlike traditional cameras, smartphones don't have physical camera shutters (the device that quickly opens and closes to expose the sensor to light). They all use electronic shutters, largely to facilitate multi-exposure HDR shots. So if all three lenses had a path to the main sensor at the same time it would be challenging to shut out light from the other lenses.

Any sort of rotating/interchangeable lens solution has its own challenges. Different focal lengths, at the same aperture, usually require different physical sizes for the lens assembly. Any sort of rotating interface might produce differently sized camera bumps. Also, dust is the enemy of digital camera sensors, so having any sort of moving part in the camera assembly opens the door for that. On a full frame, 35mm film-equivalent sensor dust is a nuisance in terms of appearing on images; on a smaller sensor it could be a dealbreaker for a lot of shots.

Interesting insights, thanks. Then maybe something like a periscope lens is the only way to get multiple focal lengths on a large sensor in the near future.