More megapixels give you the ability to capture more detail, which makes it possible to enlarge and crop pictures without them appearing blurry or pixelated. But, on an overall photo quality level, more megapixels do not necessarily mean better photos. A 40MP sensor on a mid-range Android phone may produce a technically sharper image, but a 12MP sensor on an iPhone 13 or iPhone 12 will still produce better-looking photos in general. Hence, 40MP is not better than 12MP, as many other factors like software processing, dynamic range, and color science are responsible for producing pleasing images.