The iPhone 15 Pro Max may feature an advanced camera sensor that may not be included in the smaller iPhone 15 Pro, according to the leak source Ice Universe (opens in new tab).

That sensor is believed to be a 1/1.4-inch (or 0.87-inch if you prefer decimals) Sony IMX903 sensor. This is about 11% larger than the 1/1.28" (0.78") IMX803 sensor in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Some Android phones, like the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, already have full-size 1-inch sensors. However, the 1/1.4-inch sensor is still quite large for a cell phone camera and is the largest ever used in an iPhone.

Larger sensors are generally better for photography because the increased surface area allows more light to be captured, resulting in brighter, more colorful images. mentioned in an earlier report on the iPhone 15 camera, which can capture twice as much light as the iPhone 14 Pro Assuming that this is the same camera that was mentioned in an earlier report on the iPhone 15 camera that can capture twice as much light as the iPhone 14 Pro, the IMX903 sensor seems to do just that.

That may not be the only upgrade seen in the iPhone 15 Pro. Its camera may also benefit from a rumored improved lens and updated LiDAR depth sensor.

A larger camera would, of course, take up more space, which would certainly explain why the iPhone 15 Pro is rumored to have an even larger camera bump than the already large camera on the iPhone 14 Pro. It would also no doubt be needed to accommodate the new 6x telephoto camera that is said to be included in the iPhone 15 Pro Max and its allegedly larger lens.

Ice Universe has not said whether this new sensor will be on the smaller iPhone 15 Pro, which is expected to arrive with the Pro Max; the 6.1-inch Pro is already rumored not to feature the enhanced telephoto camera mentioned above. Therefore, if Apple holds off on upgrading from the smaller, less expensive Pro, it could be unpopular with users who want the best iPhone camera available but do not want the larger 6.7-inch Pro Max body.

We won't know for sure about Apple's new camera until September, the month of the iPhone launch. Apple releases a new iPhone every September, with only a few exceptions.