iPhone 14 Pro rumor just shot down biggest upgrade

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The iPhone 14 Pro may not get a 48MP main camera

iPhone 14 Pro camera
(Image credit: https://www.tomsguide.com/us/iphone-x,review-4800.html)

The iPhone 14 Pro may not get a rumored 48-megapixel main camera, which calls into question how Apple could build upon the success of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. 

According to Weibo user and known leaker It’s Fat, flagged by Notebookcheck, the iPhone 14 Pro will use the same IMX703 sensors as the iPhone 13 Pro models. That’s a 12MP camera with a 1/1.67-inch sensor size and 1.9 μm pixels, not the 48MP upgrade previously tipped. 

Apple has used 12MP sensors for its main camera on iPhones dating back to the iPhone 7, though it has been improving the sensors each year while adding all sorts of features, from Portrait Mode and Night mode to Cinematic mode. So it wouldn't be beyond the realm of imagination for Cupertino to stick with a 12MP main camera for the new iPhones, and instead improve photography on the software and image signal processing side. Apple has got seriously good at computational photography, which is why you’ll find the iPhone 13 Pro Max at the top of our best camera phone list. 

However, there's an argument that there’s only so much software and AI smarts can do. And ultimately a sensor with more megapixels can deliver more detail while also letting you crop in more after the fact.. 

We’ve seen this with the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, which finally ditched the 12MP camera Google has been using for years in its Pixel phones and opted for a 50MP main lens. Given the rather impressive photos the latest Pixel phones produce, upping the megapixel count of the main camera was a shrewd move. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra offers an even higher 108MP main wide sensor.

We can't confirm how legitimate It’s Fat’s claimed information is. And given other leakers and tipsters have claimed a 48MP main camera will feature on the next-generation Pro iPhones, we’d advise taking this alleged leak with a dose of skepticism. 

After all, a 48MP main camera would also make a lot of sense for the iPhone 14 range, as it would enable 8K video. At the moment the iPhone 13 Pro can only record in 4K, which puts it behind the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. With the iPhone 13 Pro’s impressive video capabilities, and it's much-touted Cinematic and ProRes modes, we suspect its only a matter of time before Apple enables iPhones to capture 8K video. 

Even if the iPhone 14 Pro doesn't get a 48MP main camera, there's other things to be excited about. Going by the rumors so far, a new design is expected which could finally see the death of the notch in favor of a pair of camera cutouts. And Apple could finally embrace USB-C connectivity for the iPhone 14 range, as well as potentially bring back Touch ID in the from of an under-display fingerprint scanner. 

So come September, we could see one of the biggest redesigns of the iPhone in years. 

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Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.