iPhone 16 series camera features reviewed; Pro models can support 4K recording at 120 fps
The iPhone 16 series is expected to be unveiled at Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event on September 9. The lineup is expected to include the entry-level iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Over the past few weeks, rumors about the details of the phone have been surfacing online, suggesting expected design elements and expected specs. A new report suggests some of the camera features that the iPhone 16 Pro phones could launch with, including video recording improvements.
iPhone 16 Series Camera Features (Expected)
According to a report by 9to5Mac, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max could feature 48-megapixel rear camera sensors with ultra-wide-angle lenses. Both phones are also expected to support a 5x optical zoom tetraprism lens, while in the existing iPhone 15 series, only the Pro Max model has such a lens.
The report adds that the Pro versions of the iPhone 16 may also support 4K video recording at 120 frames per second (FPS). Users will likely be able to record ProRes 4K at 120 FPS when connected to external storage. It is unclear if this feature will be available on all phone cameras.
For comparison, the iPhone 15 supports 4K recording at 60 FPS. QuickTake recordings on these devices can also support 4K resolution, which could be an improvement over the current 1080p support.
It is worth noting that Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and Vivo X100 Ultra currently support 4K video recording at 120fps.
Apple has reportedly tested 8K video recording on the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The rumored 48-megapixel sensors, as well as the A18 Pro chipsets, will likely support this resolution quality. However, the report notes that 8K recording could be introduced with the iPhone 17 lineup.
The report adds that the iPhone 16 series of smartphones could launch with JPEG-XL format support. The camera app could also pause and resume video recording, remove wind noise from videos, introduce new photography styles with better machine learning to preserve skin tones, and introduce new spatial shooting modes for 3D viewing on Apple Vision Pro.
The report adds that the rumored camera button on the iPhone 16 phones could work with third-party apps alongside the native Camera app. The touch button is expected to allow for multi-camera controls. A light press could trigger autofocus, while a firm press would take a photo or start recording video. Meanwhile, swiping motions could be used to adjust exposure or zoom levels.