Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple is apparently testing a 200MP periscope telephoto camera.
- This comes a couple of years after Chinese brands like vivo, HONOR, OPPO, and Xiaomi first adopted 200MP tele cameras.
- It sounds like Apple won’t adopt this tech for at least a couple of years.
Android phone makers were the first to adopt 200MP cameras, marking a major step forward in terms of resolution. Samsung has resolutely stuck with 200MP main cameras, while many Chinese brands are using these high-resolution sensors for telephoto cameras. We previously heard that Apple is testing a 200MP main camera, but it looks like the firm could also be taking a page from Chinese brands.
Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority?
Leaker Digital Chat Station posted on Weibo that Apple is testing a 200MP periscope telephoto camera. You can view the machine-translated screenshot below.
Don’t hold your breath for the iPhone 18 series or iPhone 19 range to get this tech, though. The leaker suggested in a follow-up comment that the first iPhone with a 200MP tele camera might only debut in 2028. Android OEMs would therefore enjoy a lengthy head start with this tech.
The vivo X100 Ultra was first with a 200MP tele camera back in 2024, but other phones like the OPPO Find X9 Pro, Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and HONOR Magic 7 Pro have since adopted this tech. In fact, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra incorporates a 200MP variable telephoto camera.
So why should iPhone owners look forward to a 200MP telephoto camera? This high-resolution sensor enables lossless-resolution zoom for improved long-range image quality. OPPO claims that the Find X9 Pro’s 200MP 3x camera can take ~13x lossless-resolution shots, while our own experience with other phones shows that you can still get good-quality 10x snaps. Most of these phones also let you shoot a full-resolution 200MP snap via their telephoto camera, giving you enough detail to zoom in after the fact and still have a good-quality cropped image.
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about Apple testing a 200MP sensor, though. Digital Chat Station previously reported that Apple was testing a 200MP 1/1.12-inch main camera, which sounds an awful lot like the Sony LYT-901 sensor. Does this latest leak mean Apple is switching from a 200MP main camera to a 200MP tele shooter? Not quite. The leaker suggested in another follow-up comment that Apple might debut the 200MP main camera first and then launch a phone with a 200MP tele camera. This suggests that the iPhone 20 range could follow the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and vivo X300 Ultra by offering two 200MP cameras.
Thank you for being part of our community. Read our Comment Policy before posting.
By
