IPhone 14 Pro: 7 years waiting for 72MP camera system - 8K video, Pixel-binning, Super Res Zoom

The iPhone 14 series of phones is seven months away now. While the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max are expected to find something with the new A16 Bionic processor and possibly a new camera hardware, borrowed directly from the iPhone 13 Pro, the story with Apple's Pro 2022 models promises to be a success. different.

First of all, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are rumored to have a new design reminiscent of the iPhone 4, which includes a titanium frame, round volume buttons, and speaker grills. Of course, the most significant change will come soon. The iPhone 14 Pro is said to receive a dual punch-hole screen, which will eventually end the notch era, introduced with the iPhone X about five years ago.

Finally, a significant final upgrade is said to be available on the back of the iPhone 14 Pro - no camera, and a new 48MP main sensor, which is expected to (and) compatible with two 12MP shooters - zoom in again ultra-wide, with full megapixels 72. This will be the first upgrade of Apple's flagship megapixel camera from the iPhone 6S.

So, let’s take a look at why it took Apple permanently to discard the 12MP sensor; what the new 48MP camera might bring to the table, and finally what it can tell us about Apple’s future plans for the iPhone camera.

Why did it take Apple seven years from 12MP sensors?

While many Android fans will tell you, "it's because Apple is slow to innovate", that's not all. Sure, Tim Cook & Co are taking their time for some developments, but when Apple decides to change something, it's usually there:

Change is really needed and comes with a purpose

Technology and performance are ready / good enough

The fact is that smartphones do not need to be able to take 48MP photos. With phones and megapixel counts, there is a fine line between pushing the limits and reaching the point of reduced return. For example, 48-50-100MP native images will only take up additional storage space without bringing much benefits - at least for the sake of editing, and when viewed on a 6-inch phone screen, they do not look any different from a low-resolution image.

Then again, 8MP cameras, which used to be very popular back in the day, weren’t quite as exciting (at the time) as 4K video. So Apple, along with all the other manufacturers, got a 12MP sensor to beat the right balance of what the smartphone camera needed to do.

Why is Apple finally switching to a 48MP camera on the iPhone 14 Pro?

However, as always, nothing lasts forever, and after the successful spell of Nokia with shiny cameras in the days of Symbian and Windows phones, Huawei was ready to disrupt the market in 2018 with the launch of the P20 Pro, which came with 40MP. first shooter, next to a 20MP monochrome camera. Since then Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus, and Google have joined a high-res music club with 48MP, 50MP, and 108MP sensors.

Sure, when the iPhone 14 Pro is released in September 2022, it will take Apple almost four years to give iPhone users what Android had almost four years ago, but now let’s see what the reasons for Cupertino have finally shifted to the top 48MP . the senses are there.

8K video recording

From now on, 8K video is a much more buzword than a useful feature. Why? For the first time, however, the Android launch of the 8K video has been disappointing. We've seen everything, from 8K enhanced videos that look like 8K to traditional 8K video with unstoppable width, low frame rate, medium stability, and critical frame rate (when video looks zoomed in).

Besides, on the consumer side, very few people have ever needed or could use an 8K video, which is very popular on a large TV that supports 8K resolution - which are, without a doubt, still very expensive. Moreover, many professionals do not even record in 8K, to begin with. For example, TV production has probably never been taken in 8K, which defeats the whole goal of having 8K TV in the first place. Similar to YouTube content.

So, when 8K TVs are still expensive, and experts are not recording at 8K, why is Apple riding on it? Proof of the future. Although 8K is not really needed now, this may change in the next few years.

However, the fact is that Apple has another very important reason to switch to the 48MP, 8K camera, and that is the company's upcoming AR / VR headset. In AR / VR, with two small screens where you need to see the whole world, adjustment is more important than on your small phone screen - the higher, the better.

Apple's powerful processors are far superior to what Qualcomm or Samsung's Exynos chips can do, and this includes video rendering, so I expect the 8K from the iPhone 14 Pro to look much higher than that of Samsung or Xiaomi has been able to donate so far. I'm not including the Galaxy S22 Ultra, because we haven't tested this one yet.

Pixel-bined images with more details

The iPhone 14 Pro will probably not take 48MP photos automatically. All right. Instead, Apple will probably use a strategy called “pixel-binning,” in which multiple pixels are combined into one large pixel. Pixels are usually very small, so combining four of them allows for more light, and light is important for smaller camera sensors.

So, in fact, the iPhone 14 Pro will probably still take 12MP shots automatically, although it is safe to assume that Apple will let you shoot at 48MP if you want. The thing is that these images often come with small details gained and often with significant loss of range, which is why Android manufacturers used pixel-binning, avoiding automatic use.

SuperRes Zoom is another option with sensor coding

The last one is interesting.

To understand the sensation, we need to look at Google's Pixel, which has been using what the company calls Super Res Zoom for a while now. This clever software algorithm uses multi-frame capture techniques to extract additional information from an image. The Super Res Zoom on Pixels without a dedicated zoom camera is still fully digital, but without the expected loss of quality.

See samples above, taken by Grant Likes Tech. While the Pixel 6 does not have a separate optical zoom camera, like the iPhone 13, the Google phone destroys Apple's flagship when it comes to enhancement. All of that is due to Super Res Zoom.

According to the record, Huawei's P50 Pro flagship is taking the game to a whole new level. It uses a 64MP zoom camera fixed at 3.5x optical zoom. However, sensor coding from 64 full megapixels, integrated with 16MP images the phone automatically gives you, can usually capture amazing details up to 10x.

Check out our review of the Huawei P50 Pro, if you want to see this amazing camera system in action.

What can the iPhone 14 Pro's 48MP camera tell us about Apple's future plans?

Apple AR / VR headset

As I touched on the 8K video section, it is almost certain that 8K videos recorded on the iPhone 14 Pro will be used for Apple's AR / VR headset. However, another important strategy that tells us that 8K is related to Apple's Apple / VR programs is time.

If all goes according to plan, the iPhone 14 series will be released in September 2022, and the company's first AR / VR headset is set to be released in 2023. According to rumors, this one was actually supposed to arrive by the end of 2022. which would make perfect sense, but apparently, Cupertino faces some production challenges.

Periscope zoom camera on iPhone 15 Pro?

Of course, when one of the iPhone's cameras is rumored to be undergoing a major upgrade, it makes sense to ask, "what about the other two ?!". According to reliable general analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to bring the periscope zoom camera to the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max - so by 2023.

This is not surprising, as the iPhone 13 Pro has already received upgrades from a 2x zoom lens to a single 3x, so it is possible that the iPhone 14 Pro will stick to the same zoom lens. That being said, I do not expect Apple to add a fourth camera to the iPhone 15 Pro series.

Most likely the company will be setting up a 3.5-4x optical zoom lens with a short focus range, which will be used to capture Portrait Mode images - this is important for Apple, as it has become the basis of the iPhone camera. .

The 3.5x zoom lens from the Huawei P50 Pro and the 4x camera from Google's Pixel 6 Pro prove that when properly designed and used properly, such a camera can be great for portraits, as well as long-distance zoom - at least from Apple. able to unleash the same magic of Super Res Zoom that Google and Huawei are capable of.

What about the Ultra-wide-angle camera on the iPhone 14 Pro?

The ultra-wide-angle shooter on most current phones is often the weakest link in their entire camera system. Unfortunately, the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro are no different. I myself am not a big fan of ultra-wide-angle cameras, to begin with, but I think that if companies use them, they should do it well and invest a lot of time and resources to make them look good in all lighting environments.

For example, the wide-angle cameras on Apple’s iPhone 13 Pro and my Pixel 6 Pro start to deteriorate quickly when faced with challenging lighting conditions. I hope Apple will address this with the upcoming iPhone 14 Pro, but I wouldn't be surprised if this upgrade is left for the next big release, like a new zoom camera.

I mean ... The iPhone 14 Pro can't fix everything, can it? What will Apple do with the iPhone 15 Pro - make it fly?

IPhone 14 Pro punch-hole selfie camera with Face ID

And finally, let’s take a look at the selfie shooter on the new iPhone 14 Pro. Apple has been using and harassing the same 12MP camera sensor on three consecutive iPhones now, and this one should go. When it first appeared on the iPhone 11 series, the True Depth 12MP camera produced the best photos and videos on any phone. But that was 2019.

Now, phones like the Pixel 6 Pro and Galaxy S22 Ultra take highly competitive photos and videos that often compete with the iPhone 13 Pro. For example, HDR in video has been completely controlled by Apple. Not anymore, as the Pixel 6 Pro is able to balance highlights and shadows equally, if not better.

It's interesting to see Apple's selfie camera program, because this one will now need to be stored in a much smaller cut, instead of the big notch we currently have. So, is there a chance that it will actually be ... worse?