Detailed new report reveals all iPhone 16 camera upgrades, including 3K video and new format

The iPhone 16 series will feature a raft of camera upgrades, including higher-resolution sensors, support for a new image format, and improved video recording capabilities, according to a new Apple Insider report.

The iPhone 16

The two cameras on the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will be aligned vertically instead of diagonally. Past reports have said that this is being done to bring spatial video recording to the standard models. The feature is currently limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and lets you capture videos in three dimensions.

The iPhone 15’s 48MP camera with an f/1.6 aperture and optical quality 2X zoom will be carried over to the iPhone 16. The same camera will be seen on the iPhone 17 as well.

The 12MP ultrawide camera will get a bigger f/2.2 aperture, which should allow it to capture more light, thereby improving low-light shots.

The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus might also get the macro mode, which would be a first for standard models. The feature will allow users to take detailed close-up photos, making it great for photographing objects that are either small or at a close distance.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

The bigger changes are unsurprisingly reserved for Apple’s premium models. The main unit will still be a 48MP sensor with an f/1.78 aperture. The 5x periscope telephoto module that’s reserved for the iPhone 15 Pro Max will also be available on the iPhone 16 Pro this year.

Both Pro models will get a 48MP ultrawide camera, a significant step up from the current 12MP ultrawide snapper. Like the primary camera, it will also feature pixel binning and will also let you capture photos in ProRAW format, which will give you a lot of flexibility when editing photos.

The Pro models will reportedly also be able to shoot 3k videos at 120 frames per second with Dolby Vision.

Capture button and new image format

Apple is also rumoured to offer a new image format called JPEG-XL with the iPhone 16 series.

The report also goes into details about the new Capture Button. Apparently, it will be a capacitive button and will be situated on the lower-right corner. This means that in the landscape orientation, the phones will give you the feel of a dedicated camera, with your index finger naturally resting on it.

You will be able to decide which camera app is launched by the button. As for the controls, a force-sensitive half-press will be tied to developer features. It might let you do things such as locking the exposure and focus before pressing the button all the way down to take a photo.

The capacitive nature of the button will also allow it to work as a trackpad of sorts, unlocking new features, which again will be dependent upon what a developer decides. Previously rumors had said it would let you zoom in and out, but it might also let you do other things such as go through different filters.