iPhone 15 to Use 'State-of-the-Art' Image Sensor From Sony for Better Low-Light Performance

Apple's upcoming iPhone 15 models will be equipped with Sony's newest "state of the art" image sensors, according to a report from Nikkei.

iPhone 14 Pro Rear Camera
Compared to standard sensors, Sony's image sensor doubles the saturation signal in each pixel, allowing it to capture more light to cut down on underexposure and overexposure. Nikkei says that it is able to better photograph a person's face even with strong backlighting, as an example.

Sony is using semiconductor architecture that puts photodiodes and transistors in separate layers, allowing for more photodiodes. It is not clear if all of the ‌iPhone 15‌ models will use the new sensor technology, or if Apple will limit it to the higher-end "Pro" ‌iPhone 15‌ models.

At the current time, rumors suggest that the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro will have several exclusive features that will not be available in the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models, including an updated A17 chip, a faster USB-C port, more RAM, and most notably, updated zoom camera technology.

Apple is working on a periscope telephoto lens that will improve the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro's optical zoom capabilities, allowing for up to 10x optical zoom to match some Android smartphones that are on the market.

The Sony image sensor technology described here would likely be used for the Wide camera that Apple considers the iPhone's "main" camera as Apple typically uses different technology for each lens.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History

Sunday March 16, 2025 10:35 am PDT by
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...
Bent iPhone Air Feature

Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0

Monday March 17, 2025 4:07 am PDT by
Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter: When it first started work on the phone, it prototyped a device with a 6.9-inch screen — matching...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Apple's First Foldable iPhone Estimated to Cost Nearly Twice as Much as iPhone 16 Pro Max

Monday March 17, 2025 6:42 am PDT by
In an investor research note today with British bank Barclays, analyst Tim Long said Apple's first foldable iPhone could have a starting price in the $2,300 range in the United States, which would make it by far the most expensive iPhone model ever. If the first foldable iPhone starts at $2,299, that means it would cost nearly twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. ...
General iOS Mail Feature

iOS 18.3.2 Broke iCloud Mail Delivery

Monday March 17, 2025 3:31 pm PDT by
The iOS 18.3.2 update that Apple released last week appears to have broken iCloud Mail for some users. There are multiple complaints on Reddit and the MacRumors forums from users who say that iCloud Mail is not able to push new iCloud emails to their iPhones after the iOS 18.3.2 update. Affected users say that despite having the correct settings enabled, new iCloud emails are not showing up...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Start at $899 With Surprisingly Good Battery Life, Camera Control, and More

Sunday March 16, 2025 9:05 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today shared some new details about the rumored iPhone 17 Air. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said he was told that the device may start at roughly $899 in the U.S., which means that it would occupy the same price point as the iPhone 16 Plus. This would make sense, as it has been widely rumored that the Air model will take over the Plus model's spot in the iPhone...
iphone 16 pro models 1

All Four iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Upgraded 24-Megapixel Front Camera and More

Monday March 17, 2025 7:50 pm PDT by
All four iPhone 17 models launching later this year will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to analyst Jeff Pu. In a research note today with investment firm GF Securities, Pu shared a chart in which he reiterated that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with a 24-megapixel front camera. By comparison, all four ...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro Already Rumored to Have Five New Features

Tuesday March 18, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around a year and a half away from launching, there are already some early rumors about the devices. Below, we recap some key iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. Under-Screen Face ID In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a roadmap showing that iPhone 17 Pro models would feature under-display Face ID. In May 2024, however, Young said ...

Top Rated Comments

rain111 Avatar
30 months ago
I think I'll wait for iPhone 16 and have yet another state-of-the-art image sensor.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
genovelle Avatar
30 months ago

But but but... Apple lead me to believe they made their own cameras? At least their consumers act like they do?
No one does. All of the cameras combine lots of different IP to achieve their results. What Apple does is take this technology, combine it with their software to create new experiences.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
30 months ago
iPhone 15 will get a better camera shock
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
1madman1 Avatar
30 months ago

With all the riots in China, people are having trouble getting their hands on iphone 14 pro.

Anyway, a CCD (sensor) is only as good as the optics. Hopefully the optics can take advantage of the CCD.
Phones haven't used CCDs for years, they're all CMOS sensors these days. The iPhone has been CMOS since at least the iPhone 4.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago
Awesome! It's about to get better and better. The periscope telephoto lens ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/07/14/periscope-lens-iphone-15-pro-max-kuo/') would be a game changer :)
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WWPD Avatar
30 months ago
90% sure this will not be on the base iPhone 15, why even bother? Do away with the pro and just make the best iPhone. Apple today reminds me of a car dealership.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)