---
title: "What Is a Megapixel? Camera Resolution Explained"
description: "A megapixel equals one million pixels. Learn what megapixels mean for photo quality, iPhone camera resolutions, and why more isn't always better."
url: https://dblabsapps.com/glossary/megapixel/
date: 2026-04-07
---

# What Is a Megapixel?

A **megapixel (MP)** equals **one million pixels**. It describes the total resolution of a digital image or the maximum image resolution a camera sensor can capture. A 12-megapixel iPhone photo contains roughly 12 million pixels in a grid of 4032×3024 pixels.

## How Megapixels Work

A digital photo is made of tiny dots called pixels arranged in a rectangular grid. To find the megapixel count, multiply the width by the height in pixels and divide by one million. For example, a 4032×3024 image equals 12,192,768 pixels, or about 12 megapixels.

More megapixels mean more detail and the ability to crop more aggressively without losing quality. They also mean larger file sizes: a 48 MP photo is roughly four times larger on disk than a 12 MP photo.

## Megapixels Aren't Everything

Marketing makes megapixels sound like the most important camera spec, but image quality depends on much more:

- **Sensor size:** Larger sensors capture more light per pixel, producing cleaner low-light photos

- **Pixel size:** Bigger individual pixels gather more light than tiny ones

- **Lens quality:** Sharp optics and wide apertures matter more than pixel count

- **Image processing:** Apple's computational photography turns raw sensor data into the final image

- **Color science:** How a camera reproduces colors and skin tones

## Megapixels on iPhone

- **iPhone 6s – iPhone 13:** 12 MP main camera

- **iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max:** 48 MP main camera (outputs binned 24 MP HEIC by default)

- **iPhone 15 lineup:** 48 MP main camera, all models

- **iPhone 16 / 17 lineup:** 48 MP main, with 48 MP ultrawide and telephoto on Pro

The 48 MP sensors use a technique called pixel binning to combine four small pixels into one large pixel for better low-light performance. The result is a 12 MP image with the brightness of a much larger sensor.

## How Much Storage Do Megapixels Use?

- **12 MP HEIC:** ~1–2 MB

- **12 MP JPEG:** ~2–4 MB

- **24 MP HEIC:** ~3–5 MB

- **48 MP HEIC:** ~5–8 MB

- **48 MP ProRAW:** ~75–100 MB

## Related Terms

- [Aspect Ratio](https://dblabsapps.com/glossary/aspect-ratio/)

- [Pixel Binning](https://dblabsapps.com/glossary/pixel-binning/)

- [Computational Photography](https://dblabsapps.com/glossary/computational-photography/)

- [Apple ProRAW](https://dblabsapps.com/glossary/proraw/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### **What does megapixel mean?**

A megapixel equals one million pixels. A 12 MP photo contains about 12 million pixels.

### **Are more megapixels always better?**

No. Sensor size, pixel quality, lens optics, and computational processing matter more than raw count.

### **How many megapixels does iPhone shoot?**

12 MP from iPhone 6s through 13. iPhone 14 Pro and later have 48 MP sensors that output 24 MP HEIC by default.

## High-Megapixel Photos Filling Storage?

Swype Photo Cleaner finds the keepers fast. Swipe left to delete, right to keep.