Report: Apple plans a 64MP sensor for iPhone 12 and expanding night mode to front, ultra-wide, and telephoto cameras; iOS 14 to be mainly a stability update

Tom's Guide 2020-03-08 Richard Priday

Context & Ripple Effects

This report sits between two Ming-Chi Kuo camera roadmaps: his 2019 forecast of a 12MP front camera and triple-camera rear system [[a:940784]], which defined the iPhone 11 generation, and the later iPhone 13 plan for a low-light-focused ultra-wide upgrade. The Tom's Guide reporting is the first sketch of how Apple follows up — a 64MP main sensor plus Night mode extended beyond the main lens.

The iOS 14 detail matters as much as the hardware: if the update is mainly a stability release, camera capability becomes the year's headline differentiator, which is exactly the direction the iPhone 12 Pro's Deep Fusion and ProRaw additions later confirmed.

First-order effects

Buyers waiting on the iPhone 12 get low-light capture treated as a whole-system feature — front, ultra-wide, and telephoto included — rather than a perk of the main lens only.
Image sensor suppliers gain directly from the reported jump to 64MP, resetting the on-paper spec comparison against Android flagships that already market high-resolution sensors.

Second-order effects

Rivals leaning on megapixel counts lose that talking point if Apple matches resolution while keeping Night mode consistent across every camera, forcing them to compete on processing instead.
Lens and module vendors see demand tilt toward autofocus ultra-wides and better low-light optics — the direction Kuo later tied to a new lens supplier for the iPhone 13's ultra-wide camera.

Third-order effects

If Night mode spans all cameras and OS updates prioritize stability, competition settles into whole-system imaging consistency — the path the iPhone 12 Pro's Deep Fusion and ProRaw rollout already pointed down.
Annual camera roadmaps become the primary iPhone upgrade engine as software matures, making sensor and lens supplier relationships strategically central to Apple's differentiation.

The trend: Smartphone camera competition is shifting from one hero lens to uniform multi-camera systems, with computational photography and supplier depth setting the gap.

Discussion

@pineleaks Pine on x
Apple is testing a couple new camera setups for the iPhone 12/Pro. First off, they are testing a 64MP sensor. Likely Sony's new sensor. It's a larger sensor which they want for more light. This is to help with all around quality and night mode.
@pineleaks Pine on x
AirTags are getting a lost mode. You can scan lost tags, if enabled by owner, and view their information as a way to return the tag to them. It was removed in some builds but is being added back.
@pineleaks Pine on x
The iPhone 12 batteries are also getting about 10% larger. This is likely because of the 5G drain.
@pineleaks Pine on x
iOS 14 is going to be mainly a stability update. There will be new designs and graphics, but there will not be many major new features. One of these new interfaces will be related to phone calls.
@pineleaks Pine on x
Lastly, future iPhone stuff. Apple is trying to use mirrors and prisms to reflect the light from the Face ID sensors into a tiny top bezel. This is how they would like to remove the notch. It is just being tested, and if it makes it to a device, it won't be for a few years.
@pineleaks Pine on x
They are also working on a sort of macro camera. Their idea is just getting it to focus closer to an object. You will be able to get 2.2cm closer to an object and still have it in focus, in comparison to the iPhone 11 Pro. The ultra wide aperture is also getting about 35% wider.
@pineleaks Pine on x
Smart HDR is getting an improvement. Having seen some pictures with the new algorithm, it's closer to Smart XDR rather than Smart HDR. It's very good.

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