A leaker with a decent track record says that Apple is testing a 200 megapixel telephoto camera in the 2027 iPhone 19 Pro, to try to catch up with cameras on rival phones.
The rear cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro Max have a 48MP sensor, but it's long been rumored that Apple move to 200MP — and probably by 2028. Now according to leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Apple is currently testing such a sensor, and it may ship in iPhones released in 2027.
Reportedly basing this on what are described (in translation) as reliable supply chain sources, Digital Chat Station describes a 200MP 1/1.12-inch sensor. He or she says it's the same configuration being launched in the Oppo Find X9 Ultra in April 2026.
Given that such a sensor is in production for this Oppo phone, and given that Apple prioritizes camera updates for every iPhone launch, it's surely certain that this is being evaluated.
In January 2026, the same leaker reported that testing for the 200MP iPhone telephoto camera may not have started despite multiple rumors. He or she did say at the time that the camera was at "the material testing stage," meaning in part that Apple was briefing its supply chain.
So whether a 200MP telephoto camera makes it into the iPhone 19 Pro might be debatable, but it seems likely.
Apple uses its camera improvements as a key part of its marketing of the iPhone. For the forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro, for instance, Apple is widely expected to add a variable aperture camera, which amongst other benefits, would improve bokeh.
