Apple is gearing up for significant enhancements in the iPhone 17 series. In addition to the anticipated iPhone 17 Air, substantial hardware upgrades are expected for the Pro models, particularly in the camera department. Given the leaks so far, the iPhone 17 Pro appears set to introduce an exciting camera feature.
Rumors of New Telephoto Camera for iPhone 17 Pro
Sources, including Majin Bu, indicate that Apple intends to introduce a new telephoto lens featuring a 48-megapixel sensor on the iPhone 17 Pro. While this isn’t groundbreaking news, as other sources have reinforced this change, Majin Bu’s insights offer additional intriguing details.
The current iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max utilize a telephoto lens with a 12-megapixel sensor, providing a 5x optical zoom. However, if these reports hold true, the forthcoming 17 Pro models may switch to a new telephoto camera with a 3.5x optical zoom—less than the existing zoom capability. According to the leak, the enhanced resolution of the sensor could allow Apple to achieve a digital crop that surpasses 5x zoom.
This concept mirrors the primary lens found in the latest iPhones. Although the iPhone 16 sports a 48-megapixel sensor, Apple allows for a 2x digital zoom (termed as telephoto zoom) that crops the complete image into a 12-megapixel photo, yielding a satisfactory zoomed image. This strategy is why Apple claims the iPhone 16e features two cameras in one.
Majin Bu asserts that this modification in the iPhone 17 Pro will enhance the user experience, as the existing 5x lens necessitates distance from subjects for portrait shots. With a 3.5x lens, capturing portrait photos is anticipated to become more straightforward—while still achieving up to 7x digital zoom.
Personally, I would lean towards Apple retaining the existing 5x lens paired with a combined 10x digital zoom, akin to what Samsung offers with the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Samsung previously included a genuine 10x zoom lens but shifted to a 5x zoom lens paired with a 50-megapixel sensor. It is also important to note that Majin Bu has a mixed history regarding accuracy, so it’s wise to approach this report with caution.
Other reports indicate that every iPhone 17 model will feature a new 24-megapixel selfie camera, while the Pro variants will support 8K video for the first time. An official announcement for the iPhone 17 Pro is expected in September.
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