Apple is preparing an important iPhone 17 Pro camera change

Apple has big plans for the iPhone 17 line. In addition to rumors of an iPhone 17 Air version, significant updates are being prepared for the Pro models, primarily in the field of cameras. It seems that the iPhone 17 Pro will receive another pleasant surprise regarding the telephoto lens.

It was reported by 9to5Mac.

What surprise camera might the iPhone 17 Pro have? 

According to insider Majin Bu, Apple is planning to install a telephoto lens with a 48-megapixel sensor on the iPhone 17 Pro. Other sources have mentioned this before, and the latest leak adds interesting details.

Currently, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max use a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. However, if the data is true, the 17 Pro will have a 3.5x zoom camera. The reduction is due to the fact that the high resolution will allow for a magnification of more than 5x using digital cropping.

The principle is the same as with the main lens in the iPhone 16 models. There, 48 megapixels make it possible to take a 2x "telephoto" at the expense of a crop from a full-size image, while maintaining acceptable quality. Therefore, Apple claims that the iPhone 16e has two lenses in one — the main lens and an additional 2x telephoto lens.

The insider believes that users will benefit from this change: the current 5x zoom often forces you to move away from the subject to take a portrait shot. The 3.5x zoom will make portraits more convenient, and with the digital crop, it will be possible to get a 7x zoom.

However, some believe that Apple could have kept 5x and combined it with a 10x digital zoom, as Samsung does in the Galaxy S25 Ultra (the Korean manufacturer used to have a true 10x telephoto, but later switched to 5x and a 50-megapixel sensor). Since Majin Bu does not always confirm all its forecasts, we advise you to treat such leaks with caution.

Other sources say that all iPhone 17 models will get an updated 24MP selfie camera, and the Pro versions will be able to shoot 8K video for the first time.

As a reminder, it is always a pleasure to buy a new smartphone, especially an iPhone. It's worth remembering that Apple devices require initial settings, which should be done immediately after purchase.

We also wrote that Apple was going to develop the iPhone 17 Air not only as the thinnest device in the company's history, but also with a large 6.9-inch screen. However, due to fears of repeating the old scandal with the iPhone 6 Plus, the company decided to stay with 6.6 inches.