What to expect from the iPhone 15 camera?

The camera has always been one of the iPhone's standout features, and the iPhone 15 lineup is expected to make a huge leap in this department. It seems Apple's plan for 2023 is to differentiate all models in more ways than before, as new reports show that some will have extra camera tricks. Buyers now primarily take camera specs into account when choosing which smartphone to purchase, and Apple has usually been at the top of the game. This is one of the crucial areas where phone manufacturers can truly set their products apart from the competition.

Following some recent official dummy model unveilings, there will likely be four models in the upcoming lineup: the iPhone 15, 15 Pro, 15 Plus, and 15 Ultra. They are expected to launch sometime in September 2023.

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Will the iPhone 15 have a better camera?

We are now at a point where all phones look the same, and there really isn't much that manufacturers can do apart from upgrading the camera. It seems like Apple will be doing the same with the upcoming iPhone. Here are some of the expected major updates coming to the iPhone's camera:

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iPhone 15 Ultra camera specs

Periscope lens

One of the biggest camera upgrades to expect is a Periscope module, which will be exclusive to the iPhone 15 Ultra. If you're unfamiliar with the term, a Periscope module simply allows you to have a high level of optical zoom, usually over 5X. This is something that you simply cannot do with a traditional smartphone zoom lens.

According to some sources, it will boast either a 5X or a 6X optical Periscope lens. The upcoming iPhone is going to feature a 48-megapixel camera, and Apple has some very impressive AI upscaling in place, so it should be able to produce impressive results.

A new sensor

According to some reliable sources, the iPhone 15 Ultra will feature Sony's new IMX903 sensor with a size of 1/1.15 inches. It's similar to what you would normally find in a compact digital camera like the Sony RX 100, a camera capable of some incredible results. Although this doesn't mean that the 15 Ultra will be as good as the RX 100, you should be able to get notably more depth of field compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

It's not necessarily just the larger sensor that will make a big difference here but also the way in which Apple uses its software to take advantage of that new, larger sensor. Its dual-layer technology is expected to be more promising and improve low-light performance.

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iPhone 15 camera (base model) specs

Apple has been following a similar pattern since the iPhone 13. The base model of the next generation of iPhones usually uses the same sensor as the previous Pro models, and it turns out that this will be the case with the iPhone 15 base model, according to some reliable leaks.

It's quite exciting to see the 48-megapixel sensor move to the base model. One advantage of that would be the ability to get 2X telephoto zoom using the crop sensor, which would be a huge improvement for non-pro iPhones as those don't usually have a zoom module.

However, it would be better to pick up an iPhone 14 Pro over the 15, as the price would likely drop to about the same. Then you can also get a lot of additional features, such as 120 Hz, Always-On display, 3X optical zoom module, macro mode, stainless steel frame, and so much more.

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iPhone 15 Pro camera specs

As of now, there's no concrete information about the camera upgrades for the 15 Pro. However, it seems like the 15 Pro may actually stick with the same 14 Pro camera, and therefore have the same one as the iPhone 15.

There will likely be some improvements, such as macro mode, improved ultra-wide, ProRAW, ProRes, and much more. Moreover, we may see the addition of the Periscope lens as well as the new 1-inch sensor.