The cameras are often among the most exciting aspects of any new iPhone, and that’s particularly true in the case of Pro and Pro Max models. These handsets typically rank among the best camera phones money can buy, and often have better sensors and lenses than the base and Plus models.
Such is the case with the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which have some notable upgrades compared to their predecessors, and also have the base iPhone 16 models beat.
Below, then, we've detailed all the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max camera specs, and also included some sample photos.
iPhone 16 Pro cameras
The iPhone 16 Pro received two significant camera upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro. The first of these is a new ultra-wide camera, with the iPhone 16 Pro having a 48MP sensor, in place of the 12MP one used by its predecessor. This lens also functions as a macro camera.
The other major upgrade is a 5x telephoto camera in place of the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x one. This is in some ways less exciting, though, as it’s exactly the same 5x camera as we’ve previously seen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max (that being a 12MP f/2.8 one).
Beyond that, the iPhone 16 Pro also has a 48MP f/1.8 main camera, which can also take optical-quality 2x zoom photos at 12MP, and allows for video recording in up to 4K quality at up to 120fps. Finally, the front-facing camera is the same 12MP one as last year.
Of course, beyond improvements to some of the sensors, the iPhone 16 Pro also has a Camera Control button, which gives you a dedicated hardware key for launching and controlling the camera.
For an idea of how the cameras perform in practice, take a look at the samples below, taken from our iPhone 16 Pro review.
iPhone 16 Pro camera samples
iPhone 16 Pro Max cameras
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has exactly the same cameras as the iPhone 16 Pro, detailed above, but fewer upgrades, as its predecessor already had a 12MP 5x zoom camera.
So that returns here, as does a 48MP main camera and a 12MP front-facing camera. The only major upgrade is to the ultra-wide, which moves from 12MP last year to 48MP here – a change which will also benefit macro shots.
You can also now shoot video in up to 4K quality at up to 120fps, and as with the iPhone 16 Pro there's a Camera Control button, which makes it faster and easier than ever to access and operate the camera.
One arguable advantage the iPhone 16 Pro Max does have over the Pro though its its much larger 6.9-inch screen, which gives you a larger window onto your photos. This could help with framing and viewing them.
For more of a sense of how the cameras actually perform, check out the samples below, taken from our iPhone 16 Pro Max review.
iPhone 16 Pro Max camera samples
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