Nobody needs triple 200MP cameras in this economy

That’s the reason even smartphones with 200MP cameras typically don’t deliver 200MP photos. The main camera of the Galaxy S26 Ultra features a 200MP sensor, but it delivers 12MP by default, just like the 200MP telephoto camera of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra delivers 12.5MP photos. Even the smaller 48MP sensor of the iPhone 17 Pro outputs 24MP images by default. That’s because all the cameras combine data from several pixels into one to get higher quality images.

Buried inside the advanced camera settings of all those phones are options to take full-resolution photos, but those will disappoint you. You will struggle to get a high-quality photo at full resolution, and even if you do, you probably don’t need it. Unless you’re a seasoned professional with very specific needs, 200MP images are overkill.

High-resolution ultrawide cameras don't make sense

Once you cross a certain megapixel threshold, the size of the camera sensor matters way more than its resolution. The most simplified explanation is that a larger sensor can take in more light, which leads to better images in more conditions. If you have two modern sensors with the same resolution and the same image processing, the one that’s physically bigger will almost certainly capture better photos, as each of its pixels can get more light.

High-resolution sensors allow manufacturers to offer better digital zoom for their cameras. The iPhone Air, for example, has only one physical camera, but Apple crops out the central 12MP of its sensor to allow for a 2x digital zoom. Other manufacturers use a similar approach to get extra zoom options from their telephoto cameras with high-resolution sensors, and that makes sense. While those images have lower quality than the ones shot when using the whole sensor, they’re useful.



Enhancing the digital zoom of some of the cameras is probably the only good reason to use higher-resolution sensors on a smartphone. However, that benefit would be lost on an ultrawide camera, as its idea is to zoom out, not zoom in. That’s why adding a 200 MP ultrawide camera to any phone won’t solve any of its camera issues, and it could only serve to feed the megapixel fad.

Give me meaningful updates

I’m all for better smartphone cameras, but that doesn’t mean higher resolution. For ultrawide cameras, it means better optics and improved processing that would minimize the pesky distortion and low sharpness we’re all too used to by now. Higher-quality optics, improved processing, and physically larger sensors would improve any camera, and that’s what manufacturers should be focused on.

Considering the rising smartphone prices this year, I expect most users to become even more selective with their purchases. If any manufacturer wants to gain people’s trust, they need to prove to them that the upgrades are worth the price. Simply adding a third 200MP sensor certainly is not that, and I hope the mysterious manufacturer from the rumor realizes that quickly.