Unmasked, the iPhone 12 Pro Max's primary (wide-angle) sensor is... large. Not unlike the phone it lives in.

Sometimes we're skeptical when a "Pro" feature only makes it into a larger, more expensive model. But there's a decent chance this sensor wouldn't fit in the cramped corner of the smaller iPhone 12 Pro without compromises.

This sensor dwarfs the iPhone 12's. It's 47% larger but with the same 12 MP resolution, so each pixel is larger and captures more light.

That's a technology many modern DSLR and mirrorless cameras use. When your hands shake, there are two main ways to stabilize the image: you can move the lens, or you can move the sensor.

Most smartphones that tout image stabilization use lens-based optical image stabilization (OIS) to smooth out jitters. Many internet battles have been fought over which stabilization technique works best in professional cameras.

Since Apple went out of their way to bring sensor-shift to the iPhone, either they think that's the way to go, or perhaps they just couldn't adequately stabilize the larger version of their new f/1.6 lens.