iPhone 16 Pro Max Camera Leak: 100x Zoom with AI

So then, guys, prepare for some big WOW news: the iPhone 16 Pro Max could have the ability to take photos with a 100x zoom this year! With the camera telephoto leaks we’ve seen, Apple looks like they are changing the way their cameras will work, at least in their Pro phones going forward. The breadcrumbs of this development were in iOS 18 with AI as well as Apple Intelligence, and it looks absolutely amazing.

As you know already, iOS 18 is jam-packed with features for previous iPhones, but Apple Intelligence was initially only for the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This looks like it will change for all the iPhone 16 models. The reality of a 100x zoom could be coming this year!

For comparison, this phone here is the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which currently offers the ability to take photos at 10x, 30x, or even 100x zoom. Samsung enhances their pictures with AI inside this phone, and they’re not the only ones doing this. Google does it quite a lot too with their Pixel phones, which have a 5x telephoto lens that can go up to 30x digital zoom. Obviously, it seems like Samsung’s capability is better than Google’s Pixel phones, but Google has a little party trick up their sleeve.

Google’s trick allows you to take a picture at 30x zoom and then pinch and zoom even more on the photo. It might look blurry, but you can enhance the photo to clear it up. You can do this right now with third-party apps on an iPhone too. For example, this here is a Mickey clock that I took a picture of at 25x zoom on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Using AI, I can clear up that picture. All those third-party abilities to enhance photos and better zoom capabilities could also be coming to the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Just in case you’re wondering, it looks like we’ll still get a 12-megapixel telephoto lens inside the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The megapixel count isn’t increasing there, but the ultrawide sensor will get a 48-megapixel upgrade in the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, it looks like we might have to wait another year or so for all three lenses to be 48 megapixels or more, possibly in the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

In terms of zoom capabilities, we’ve heard that the iPhone 16 Pro will get the same 5x zoom capability as the iPhone 16 Pro Max. But this time, the sensor in both of these phones could be even better than what we saw in the 15 Pro Max. Another leak suggests that the iPhone 16 Pro Max could get a 300mm focal length camera. To put this into perspective, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 120mm focal length, which equates to a 5x optical zoom. If you did the math, a 300mm focal length could equate to around a 12x or 13x optical zoom. Combine this with Apple Intelligence on digital zoom, and we could get even more zoom capability.

Before diving deeper into the zoom capabilities, let’s talk about this channel’s giveaway happening at the end of September. I’m giving away an iPad Pro, a 13-inch model with an M4 chip and 512GB of storage, to one lucky subscriber. All you have to do to enter the giveaway is comment below on what technology, Apple-related or not, excites you the most. Make sure you also subscribe to the channel and hit the notification bell. I’ll be making a video near the end of September with more details about the giveaway, including a form to fill out and the live stream date when I’ll be giving away this iPad Pro. Plus, I’m bundling in a Magic Keyboard with this iPad Pro, so the winner will have everything they need to get started.

Now, back to the zoom capabilities. With WWDC 2024, Apple introduced Apple Intelligence and some basic AI editing for photos, like the Magic Eraser tool. Compared to others like Samsung and Google, this is still quite limited. You can only erase objects, but you can’t move them around or do more advanced edits. However, with the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 Pro, I believe there will be more AI capabilities in the camera, including the potential for a 100x zoom or at least a 50x zoom.

Apple now has the tools to make this happen. Combining Apple Intelligence with the increased focal length, they could easily offer a significant zoom upgrade from the current 25x to 50x or more. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely remain limited to its existing AI capabilities, as these new features will be exclusive to the 16 Pro models. We’ll have to wait until mid-September for the official announcement and the subsequent launch.

There are many other AI and Apple Intelligence features coming to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Pro, announced at WWDC but not yet available in beta. Subscribe to this channel and hit the notification bell to stay updated on these features when they become available.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Apple will expand their zoom capabilities this time around? Should they increase their zoom capabilities? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, please press the like button. For the latest Apple news, reviews, and comparisons, make sure you subscribe to this channel and hit the notification bell. Until next time, I’ll see you soon. Take care!