Three Major Camera Improvements May be Coming to iPhone 13 [Updated]

The iPhone 12 premiered with an improved camera system, but 2021's iPhone 13 is predicted to take mobile photography to the next level with three major camera hardware improvements.

iphone12proad

The ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup offered a range of significant camera improvements, with a larger aperture on the wide-angle lens and an improved, seven-element lens assembly, and Sensor-shift optical image stabilization and a deeper telephoto lens on the 12 Pro Max model. There was also a number of computational photography improvements, such as the introduction of Apple ProRAW, Night mode portraits, Smart HDR 3, HDR video recording with Dolby Vision, Night mode Time-lapses, and Night mode and Deep Fusion on the front-facing camera. Next year, the ‌iPhone 13‌ is expected to focus on three main areas of improvement: the Ultra-Wide lens, sensor size, and sensor-shift stabilization.

Ultra-Wide Hardware Improvements

Supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects the aperture of the ultra-wide angle lens on the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max to increase from ƒ/2.4 to f/1.8, with a new six-element lens assembly. This would allow for a shallower depth-of-field and much more light to enter the lens, leading to significantly improved images with the ultra-wide angle lens.

lens elements

Larger Sensor Size

The iPhone 12 Pro Max gained a 47 percent larger sensor, but well-connected display analyst Ross Young predicts that the camera sensor size of both the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max will increase. Although Young doesn't state which of the three cameras will gain a larger sensor, a larger sensor would, in turn, have larger pixels. This means that the sensor could collect more light, resulting in materially better image quality.

Apple iphone12pro back camera 10132020

Expanded Sensor-Shift Stabilization

Kuo also expects sensor-shift stabilization to be expanded to the smaller ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro model, introducing improvements to low light performance and stabilization by reducing camera shake.

The ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ is the first ‌iPhone‌ to gain sensor-shift stabilization. Apple says that its new sensor-shift image stabilization technology is capable of stabilizing an image more than 5,000 times per second. This is 4,000 more times per second than its regular optical image stabilization system. Sensor-shift stabilization also affords the camera a higher ISO sensitivity by over 87 percent, enabling the camera to handle low-light situations better. Expanding sensor-shift stabilization across both Pro models would allow the smaller 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro to also benefit from these improvements.

iphone 12 pro max sensor shift

While Young expects both ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro models to retain the LiDAR Scanner on the rear, it is unknown whether the feature will come to the non-Pro ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13‌ mini models. Regardless, he expects general camera improvements will trickle down across the lineup.

Although Apple's ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup did not launch in September as expected due to production delays, the 2021 ‌iPhone‌ lineup will likely be unveiled in the fall of 2021, with the company likely aiming to return to its traditional September launch timeline.

Update: A new report from ET News has suggested that Apple is advancing its plans to significantly enhance the ‌iPhone‌'s optical zoom range using periscope lens technology.

Apple has reportedly encountered issues developing its own periscope camera system due to much of the technology involved being guarded by other patents, leading the company to explore purchasing it directly from patent-holders instead.

A Digitimes report seen by The Next Web has also corroborated this, stating that Apple is looking to improve the zoom capabilities of its next iPhones with a periscope camera system.

Alongside his correct prediction that the ‌iPhone 12 Pro Max‌ would have sensor-shift stabilization technology, Apple analyst ‌Ming-Chi Kuo‌ said earlier this year that at least one ‌‌iPhone‌‌ model will feature a periscope telephoto lens by 2022.

Related Roundup: iPhone 13
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 17

26 New Things Your iPhone Can Do With Next Month's iOS 17.2 Update

Wednesday November 22, 2023 10:57 pm PST by
Apple made the first beta of iOS 17.2 available to developers in October. Since then we've seen two more betas, and with each iteration Apple continues to add more new features and changes, many of which users have been anticipating for quite a while. Below, we've listed 26 new things that are coming to your iPhone when the finalized version is publicly released in December. 1. Help You...
Apple Watch Series 9

5 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's Apple Watch

Friday November 24, 2023 3:46 am PST by
With all the discounted deals on Apple tech currently available, you might be thinking about upgrading your Apple Watch or buying one for the first time. But if your current smartwatch is doing its job just fine and it's only the idea of a good deal that's piqued your interest, it could be worth holding out until next year when Apple unveils its latest and greatest version. There are already ...
General Black Friday Deals 2022 Green

40+ Apple Black Friday Deals Still Available for AirPods, iPhone, iPad and More

Friday November 24, 2023 5:01 am PST by
Black Friday 2023 has officially ended, but we're still tracking some of the best deals of the year on Apple products like AirPods, iPad, iPhone, MacBook, and many more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Specifically, in this article we're...
Cyber Monday Deals Feature 2022

40+ Apple Cyber Monday Deals for AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 26, 2023 9:47 am PST by
Cyber Monday has taken the place of Black Friday, and you'll find many of the same deals still around today. This includes dozens of record low prices on Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, iPhone, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the...
ipad mini 2021 youtube

What to Expect From the Next iPad Mini Later in 2024

Friday November 24, 2023 1:00 pm PST by
Over 800 days have passed since Apple last updated the iPad mini, as outlined in the MacRumors Buyer's Guide. Fortunately, a new iPad mini is rumored to be released next year, and we have outlined what to expect from the device below. Apple released the current iPad mini in September 2021, with new features at the time including a larger 8.3-inch display, a USB-C port, a Touch ID power...