Quick answer · October 2026
All iPhones with 3 cameras
16 iPhones have 3 cameras, and every one is a Pro or Pro Max, from iPhone 11 Pro (2019) to iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple sells these new today: iPhone 18 Pro Max (from $1,299) and iPhone 18 Pro (from $1,199). No standard iPhone, Plus, mini, e model, iPhone Air or iPhone Duo has three.
| Year | 3 camera iPhones | Main camera |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | iPhone 18 Pro · 18 Pro Max | 48MP |
| 2025 | iPhone 17 Pro · 17 Pro Max | 48MP |
| 2024 | iPhone 16 Pro · 16 Pro Max | 48MP |
| 2023 | iPhone 15 Pro · 15 Pro Max | 48MP |
| 2022 | iPhone 14 Pro · 14 Pro Max | 48MP |
| 2021 | iPhone 13 Pro · 13 Pro Max | 12MP |
| 2020 | iPhone 12 Pro · 12 Pro Max | 12MP |
| 2019 | iPhone 11 Pro · 11 Pro Max | 12MP |
Ranked below by camera count, newest first: a main camera, an Ultra Wide and a Telephoto on every 3 camera model.
Next: iPhone 17 vs 17 Pro (two cameras or three) · iPhone Air vs 17 Pro · best iPhone camera · compare a two-camera and a three-camera iPhone in the tool →
Full ranking
Every iPhone, ranked.
Camera counts and specs come from Apple’s technical specifications for each model. The LiDAR Scanner is a depth sensor and is not counted as a camera.
The third lens
What the third camera does
The third camera on an iPhone Pro is the Telephoto. It gives you real optical zoom, so the lens itself brings a distant subject closer instead of the phone cropping into a wider shot. That matters for portraits, sports, stage shows and anything you can’t walk up to, because an optical zoom is sharper than a crop of the same scene.
Two-camera models are not stuck at 1x. From iPhone 15 on, the standard models offer a 2x “optical-quality” crop taken from the 48MP main sensor. That covers casual portraits well enough, but it does not reach the 3x to 5x range of a Pro telephoto.
The little black dot near the cameras on Pro models, present from iPhone 12 Pro on, is the LiDAR Scanner. It measures depth and is not a camera, so don’t count it when you tally lenses. Our iPhone camera ranking covers how the full camera systems compare.
Telephoto by generation
Telephoto zoom by Pro generation
| Model | Telephoto | Main camera |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 11 Pro / 11 Pro Max | 2x | 12MP |
| iPhone 12 Pro | 2x | 12MP |
| iPhone 12 Pro Max | 2.5x | 12MP |
| iPhone 13 Pro / 13 Pro Max | 3x | 12MP |
| iPhone 14 Pro / 14 Pro Max | 3x | 48MP |
| iPhone 15 Pro | 3x | 48MP |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 5x (tetraprism) | 48MP |
| iPhone 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max | 5x | 48MP |
| iPhone 17 Pro / 17 Pro Max | 4x (100 mm), 48MP | 48MP |
| iPhone 18 Pro / 18 Pro Max | 4x (100 mm), 48MP | 48MP |
On iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, all three rear cameras are 48MP. See the full spec sheet on the iPhone 18 Pro page, or put any two models side by side in the comparison tool. Telephoto multiples are from Apple’s technical specifications for each model.
FAQ
Questions people ask
- Which iPhones have three rear cameras?
- 16 iPhones, all Pro or Pro Max models from iPhone 11 Pro (2019) to iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple sells these new today: iPhone 18 Pro Max (from $1,299) and iPhone 18 Pro (from $1,199).
- How does iPhone 18 Pro Max compare with iPhone 18 Pro?
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Triple 48MP. iPhone 18 Pro: Triple 48MP. See the two drawn to scale on the head-to-head page.
- Does iPhone 17 have 3 cameras?
- The standard iPhone 17 has two rear cameras: a main camera and an Ultra Wide. The three-camera models in that generation are the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, which add a 4x (100 mm) telephoto.
- Is the third circle on the Pro a camera?
- Yes. The three large round lenses on the back of a Pro are all cameras: the main camera, the Ultra Wide and the Telephoto. The small black dot beside them is the LiDAR Scanner, a depth sensor, not a camera. Pro models have had it since iPhone 12 Pro.
- Which is the cheapest iPhone with 3 cameras?
- Among iPhones Apple sells new today, the cheapest is the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199 on apple.com in the US. The iPhone 18 Pro Max, at $1,299, is the only other new triple-camera model. Older Pro models also have three cameras if you shop used or refurbished, so check current prices at the retailer.
- Do any non-Pro iPhones have a telephoto?
- No. No non-Pro iPhone has had three rear cameras or a dedicated telephoto lens. iPhone 15 and later standard models get a 2x crop from the 48MP main sensor, which is not the same as optical zoom.
- Does iPhone 16 have 3 cameras?
- No. iPhone 16 and 16 Plus have two rear cameras, a 48MP main and a 12MP Ultra Wide. iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max have three, with a 5x telephoto. iPhone 16e has one.
- Which iPhone 13 has 3 cameras?
- iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Both have a 12MP main, Ultra Wide and 3x telephoto. iPhone 13 and 13 mini have two cameras.
- Which iPhone 15 and iPhone 14 models have 3 cameras?
- Only the Pro models: iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max (the Max has a 5x tetraprism telephoto, the Pro 3x), and iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max (3x). iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 14 and 14 Plus have two cameras.
- What is the smallest iPhone with 3 cameras?
- iPhone 11 Pro, at 144.0 × 71.4 mm with a 5.8″ screen, is the smallest triple-camera iPhone ever made. Among iPhones Apple sells new today, it is iPhone 18 Pro. Compare their sizes in our smallest iPhone guide.
- Does iPhone Duo have 3 cameras?
- No. The folding iPhone Duo has two rear cameras, a 48MP main and a 48MP Ultra Wide. If you want a telephoto, you need a Pro or Pro Max. Duo’s size compared with the rest is in our smallest iPhone guide.