iPhone 6 Rear Camera to Retain 8-Megapixel Sensor, Offer Improved Image Stabilization?

iphone_5s_rear_cameraiPhone camera module supplier Largan Precision saw its stock take a significant dip yesterday amid rumors that Apple will not be upgrading the resolution of the rear camera for the iPhone 6 later this year, reports The China Post.

The report cites analysts from Nomura Securities who indicate that while the iPhone 6 should see some camera improvements such as enhanced optical image stabilization, the device will continue to use an 8-megapixel sensor rather than a higher-resolution sensor in the 12-16 megapixel range.

According to Nomura Securities, Largan's recently lagging performance in the market is caused by rumors that Apple may adopt an 8 mega-pixel (MP) camera with improved optical image stabilization on its upcoming handset, instead of the 16 MP upgrade anticipated by industry observers. Apple's decision is based on the design requirement to retain the handset's more portable form factor, said Nomura Securities. [...]

Largan retains a leading edge among competing suppliers, as even though the camera's pixel count remains the same, the company is among the few companies capable of coping with the complexity of the camera module, said Nomura Securities. The production of smaller-factored camera modules would require significantly improved optical aperture and resolution attributes, which are the company's competitive strengths, said Nomura Securities.

Apple first introduced an 8-megapixel rear camera on the iPhone 4s back in 2011 and used similar modules for the iPhone 5 in 2012 and iPhone 5c last year. Apple's 2013 flagship iPhone 5s model continues to use an 8-megapixel sensor, but achieves significant camera improvements through increased pixel size, a larger aperture, new "True Tone" dual LED flash, software enhancements, and more.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Announces Special Event in New York Feature 1

Apple Reportedly Plans to Unveil at Least Five New Products Next Week

Sunday February 22, 2026 9:48 am PST by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple will have a three-day stretch of product announcements from Monday, March 2 through Wednesday, March 4. In total, he expects Apple to introduce "at least five products." Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. A week ago, Apple invited selected journalists and content creators to an "Apple Experience" in...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3.1 Update for iPhones Coming Soon as 'Apple Experience' Nears

Sunday February 22, 2026 5:29 pm PST by
Apple's software engineers are testing iOS 26.3.1, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.3.1 should be a minor update that fixes bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, and it will likely be released within the next two weeks. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.2.1 with bug fixes and support for the second-generation...
iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Feature

Apple is Testing These iPhone 18 Pro and Foldable iPhone Colors

Sunday February 22, 2026 8:41 am PST by
The special new color that Apple is considering for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max this year is red, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Specifically, he said that Apple is testing a "deep red" finish for the two devices. If this rumor materializes, it would be the first time that the Pro and Pro Max models ever come in red, and the iPhone 18 Pro models would be the first...
tim cook data privacy day

Tim Cook Warned by CIA That China Could Move on Taiwan by 2027

Tuesday February 24, 2026 4:03 am PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook was among a handful of top tech executives who attended a classified CIA briefing warning that China could attack Taiwan by 2027, according to a sweeping investigative report by The New York Times ($). The previously unreported briefing was apparently held in a secure room in Silicon Valley in July 2023. The meeting is said to have been arranged at the request of the...
airpods pro 3 design

Higher-End AirPods Pro Launching This Year

Monday February 23, 2026 2:31 pm PST by
While the AirPods Pro 3 launched less than six months ago, it has been rumored that Apple plans to unveil new AirPods Pro this year. Instead of AirPods Pro 4, it has been rumored that the new AirPods Pro will be a higher-end version of the AirPods Pro 3. This would be similar to the regular AirPods 4, which are available in two versions, with and without active noise cancellation....

Top Rated Comments

Sandstorm Avatar
158 months ago
I'm absolutely OK with 8 megapixels, much rather I'd like to see further improvements to low light performance and overall picture quality.
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
158 months ago
This is the way to go. Thanks Apple!

I'd rather have really good 8MP pics than mediocre 40+ MP pics.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BJMRamage Avatar
158 months ago
the size of the sensor is more important than the "size" of the Megapixels.

it was a bit surprising Apple didn't increase the megapixel...as they have and other phone makers have but at the asme time it seems silly to have 12-16-40 MegaPixels in a camera on a phone.

and When I had my first DSLR it only have a 6 Megapixel...and I have printed a 40+ " print...heck, even using photos blown up on a box truck wrap.

and who needs megapixels when too often people just make them crappy with instagram filters
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ingot Avatar
158 months ago
Anything Apple makes, I will want.

End of line.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
158 months ago
This is the way to go. Thanks Apple!

I'd rather have really good 8MP pics than mediocre 40+ MP pics.

I hope you're not referring to the Lumia 1020. They're far from mediocre.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
158 months ago
More megapixels also requires more data center space for Photo Stream.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)