iPhone with 200MP camera expected launch: Apple is preparing for a big boost to the resolution of the iPhone camera, according to reports – but you might have to wait a couple more years if you want one. The 200-megapixel camera sensor could first appear in the iPhone 21 and is anticipated to be released at around 2028, say researchers at US bank Morgan Stanley, reported AppleInsider.

Previous rumours indicated that Apple could start using a 200MP sensor as early as the iPhone 18 series. But the latest findings suggest that Apple’s moving with more caution, in large part due to its supply chain strategy rather than technological limitations.

Supplier Diversification Slows Timeline

One of the main reasons that the rollout has taken so long is Apple’s efforts to diversify where parts are made. Why Samsung will supply 200-megapixel camera under lens partnership terms The two companies do not have a leading share in this market,” Nikkei reported, without adding the name of any company to its story. Through collaboration with more than one supplier, the company hopes to maintain stable production volumes and secure better control over costs in the future.

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The multi-supplier, cautious approach is something that Apple has used often in its hardware strategy; the greater complexity of components and global supply chain risks have only reinforced this stance.

Changes Beyond the Main Camera

The report also says that Apple is diversifying its supplier base for other parts. In the case of LiDAR sensors, which Sony is currently providing to Apple, it is reported that the company is seeking to have STMicro as an alternate supplier. This shift matches a diversification we’ve seen with camera sensors.

But not everything is expected to change. Face ID sensors should continue with their single supplier (LITE) for the time being, Morgan Stanley research analysts indicated. That being said, Apple still may bring an under-display Face ID technology to market in 2027, for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary.

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Forceful Discounting Expected to Remain in Place

However, despite eventually making the leap to 200MP and with component costs creeping up across the industry, Apple is unlikely to increase this pricing. The company also is known to absorb increased production costs rather than pass them through to consumers.

For the iPhone 17, for instance, Apple slipped past any price increases by swapping around storage configurations instead of adding to base prices, leaving it a tossup between whether or not it actually cost more than an iPhone 16 overall. If history repeats itself, a mammoth camera upgrade like a 200MP sensor might not translate into higher sticker prices when it finally does surface.

For now, Apple is emphasising long-term reliability and supply chain stability — even if that means waiting until 2028 to put the highest-resolution camera in an iPhone yet into users’ hands.