Apple rumored to be testing a 200 MP camera ahead of three years of iPhone design changes

Apple has never been one to quickly jump onto trends, taking its sweet time and only using a new technology when it feels it’s mature enough. That may be the point that 200 MP cameras have just reached, since Apple is now rumored to be testing just such a sensor.

There is no more information on the matter at all, so we don’t even know which particular sensor and for what camera, but it is an interesting development nevertheless. Of its competitors, Samsung has enjoyed using 200 MP for its Ultra‘s main camera (and now the S25 Edge‘s as well), while most other companies have only done so sparingly.

On the other hand, the 200 MP periscope telephoto camera has pretty much become a staple of high-end Chinese smartphones over the past few months. The source of this rumor claims it’s “likely” to be a main camera that Apple is testing, but he doesn’t seem very convinced at the moment.

The same prolific leaker who goes by Digital Chat Station on Weibo has also purportedly shed some light on Apple’s design strategy for the next few years. As you may already know, in 2025 there will be major changes on the rear of the iPhone 17 family, with a large camera bump. Then, next year, there will apparently be big changes on the front, with Face ID going under the screen (presumably on Pro models only), which means there will only be a single hole-punch for the selfie camera.

And finally, in 2027, Apple’s iPhones are said to have big changes everywhere. While the ones on the back aren’t detailed, on the front we’ll apparently see an under-display camera, which means we’ll get an all-screen iPhone 19 Pro. That is, of course, if this rumor turns out to be accurate.

Source 1 (in Chinese) | Source 2 (in Chinese)