The iPhone front camera should get an upgrade – but there's a catch

Rumours suggest the selfie snapper will get a big boost in the future

Apple iPhone 15 Pro
(Image credit: Future)

One thing we've seen consistently upgraded on the best iPhones in recent years in the camera. The quality of both the hardware and software has been improved, enabling users to capture significantly better images than previous models.

That's perhaps best seen on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The latest flagship from the brand features a superb camera array, with the highlight being a 120mm periscope telephoto lens which offers staggering zoomed shots.

One thing that has lagged behind slightly is the front camera, though. That's something which has become more and more crucial in the modern age, with platforms like TikTok using a front-facing setup.

Fortunately, a change could be on the horizon – but don't expect an overnight change. The rumour comes from respected tech analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, who shared the information on their Medium blog.

According to Kuo, the upgrade will see the current 12MP lens with a 5P construction replaced with a 24MP lens with a 6P construction. If you aren't aware, the 5P and 6P refer to the number of plastic layers in the lens itself, with a higher number generally considered to be better.

So, when can we expect to see this upgrade implemented? The iPhone 16 range later this year? Err, no. Kuo actually suggests that the upgrade is set for the iPhone 17 range, which we'd expect to see towards the tail end of 2025.

That could be quite frustrating for fans. As one of the areas which could do with some improvement, many may have hoped to see it on devices sooner.

Still, it's nice to see it come in at all. We'll certainly be keeping our eyes peeled for further updates and more information – though there may well be a long time to wait.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.