Kuo: 2022 iPhones to Feature 48-Megapixel Camera, 8K Video, and 6.1 and 6.7" Sizes With No 5.4" Mini Option

The upcoming 2022 iPhone lineup will feature two 6.1-inch devices and two 6.7-inch devices, with no mini-sized 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌, well-respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a note to investors that was seen by MacRumors. Two of the iPhones will be high-end models and two of the iPhones will be lower-end models, similar to the current ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup.

iPhone 12 cameras
Apple introduced the 5.4-inch ‌iPhone‌ mini in the ‌iPhone‌ 12 lineup and plans to continue to sell a 5.4-inch device in 2021, but it looks like the size will be discontinued after that, if Kuo's information is accurate. The iPhone 12 mini has not been selling as well as expected, according to multiple iPhone sales estimates.

Along with streamlining size options, Kuo believes that Apple will introduce significant camera upgrades in the 2022 iPhones, adding a 48-megapixel camera in the high-end iPhone 14 models. Kuo says that the upgraded camera lens will take ‌iPhone‌ camera photography "to a new level."

In terms of pixel size, the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and new 2H22 iPhone are about 1.7um, 2um, and 1.25um, respectively. We believe that the new 2H22 iPhone may support direct 48MP output and 12MP (four cells merge output mode) output simultaneously. With 12MP output, the CIS pixel size of the new 2H22 iPhone increases to about 2.5um, which is significantly larger than the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13, and larger than existing Android phones, and close to the DSC level. We believe that the camera quality of the new 2H22 iPhone will elevate mobile phone camera photography to a new level.

Along with a 48-megapixel lens that will also be able to output in 12-megapixels, Kuo expects the high-end iPhones to be capable of recording 8K video, and he says that in the future, watching iPhone-recorded videos on an 8K display or TV will "offer a better user experience."

Because the best resolution for augmented and mixed reality is 8K to 16K, Kuo says that the 48-megapixel camera in the 2022 ‌iPhone‌ will create videos and images "more suitable for AR/MR devices" and that will "enhance the AR/MR user experience."

As for future iPhones, Kuo says that Apple will adopt a periscope telephoto lens in 2023, along with under-display Face ID, which would presumably see the elimination of the notch. Kuo previously said that Apple would introduce a hole-punch front camera in the 2022 iPhone and that at least one ‌iPhone‌ in 2023 would feature under-display Touch ID and a full-screen display with no notch or holes.

Related Roundup: iPhone 13
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

LimitR Avatar
32 months ago
My God. Don’t take away our mini! It only just arrived.
Score: 58 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Scoob Redux Avatar
32 months ago
Looks like it'll be a max-spec late 2021 Mini for me and hope it carries me ~5 years like my original SE did :(
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghanwani Avatar
32 months ago

The upcoming 2022 iPhone lineup will feature two 6.1-inch devices and two 6.7-inch devices, with no mini-sized 5.4-inch
Now that's a bummer.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JoEw Avatar
32 months ago
Looks like I’ll be grabbing an iPhone 13 mini before it’s discontinued.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
32 months ago
I will have to get spare 13 minis to last me into the 2030’s...
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
youdontsay Avatar
32 months ago
I know lots of people here think the mini was just the result of listening to a minority of users with loud voices.
However I’m genuinely curious to see how the 2021 model (with stores opened) will do. I am using a mini ATM and I won’t go back to big phones. I think if people are able to actually see and use it, it might do better.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple WWDC23 macOS Sonoma hero

macOS Sonoma Launching This Week With These New Features

Sunday September 24, 2023 12:45 pm PDT by
Apple previously announced that macOS Sonoma will be released this Tuesday, September 26. The free software update includes many new features and changes for the Mac, including the five that we have highlighted below. In addition to these five features, we have shared the full release notes for macOS Sonoma below for a complete overview of everything new. Desktop Widgets macOS Sonoma...
iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
iPhone 16 Side Feature

iPhone 16 to Include an Additional Capacitive 'Capture' Button

Monday September 25, 2023 12:50 pm PDT by
The iPhone 16 series is expected to gain an additional capacitive button, known internally as the "Capture Button." Codenamed "Project Nova," the button is likely to be one of the main selling points of the iPhone 16 lineup, assuming it gets past the initial testing phase. The Capture Button is located on the same side as the Power button, only positioned slightly lower - where the mmWave cutout...
ipad mini blue

Apple to Launch iPad Mini 7 Later This Year, Industry Report Suggests

Monday September 25, 2023 3:16 am PDT by
Apple could be preparing to release a seventh-generation iPad mini before the end of the year, based on a new report by DigiTimes. In an article discussing stagnating global tablet demand in the second half of 2023, the Taiwan-based outlet forecasts an uptick in Apple's share of the market owing to orders for a "small-size" iPad in the fourth quarter. From the report (see bold): In the...