Apple likes to move its technological advances along, but its smartphone camera upgrades move slower than most. Maybe. A new report claims that Apple will eventually make the jump to 200MP camera sensors in its iPhones, with the likely starting point being the iPhone 19 Pro.
Which, if you’re paying attention, isn’t this year. 2026 will see the launch of the iPhone 18 lineup. But a leaker out of China reckons that Apple is eying the massive sensor for the following year, in 2027.
200MP/how?
The rumour comes from a generally reliable Chinese supply chain leaker, Digital Chat Station (via Weibo). He wasn’t really talking up Apple when mentioning that the company is eying a 2027 upgrade, however. He was pointing out that Apple’s update is already found in Oppo’s range of smartphones in 2026.
It seems that “reliable sources from the supply chain indicate that iPhone is also evaluating a 200MP 1/1.12″ sensor, the same solution used in the Find X9 Ultra, expected to be commercially available next year. OPPO’s product definition is once again ahead of Apple’s, and its dual 200MP + 10x super telephoto imaging is truly unique.” (translated via Google Translate)
That’s not praise. It’s quite a lot of shade, but we can expect that from Chinese social media accounts. But it’s also new and possibly credible information about Apple’s camera plans almost two years from now. Whether Apple actually makes the jump, we’ll have to wait and see. Let’s just get to September 2026 in one piece first, shall we?
