The iPhone 17 Pro could get a massive camera upgrade

Over the past few months, social media has been flooded with leaks showing off an updated pair of the iPhone 17 Pro and the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. But it looks like Apple’s upcoming flagships will have other new features that camera enthusiasts will love.

And it looks like Apple’s upcoming flagships will get some other new features that camera enthusiasts will love.

According to a report from Macrumors, which cites an unnamed source, the iPhone 17 Pro will feature an upgraded camera with an 8x optical zoom lens. In comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera features a 5x optical zoom.

Apple is gaining momentum

If you look at the competition, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro have a maximum 5x optical zoom. Entering the highly competitive Asian markets, the Oppo Find X8 Ultra smartphone has a 6x optical zoom, while the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra —s 9.4x optical zoom.

Remember that all the leaks point to a massive camera protrusion on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro, so it’s likely that Apple is indeed gearing up for a major imaging hardware upgrade.

Assuming the rumors are confirmed, the iPhone 17 Pro will be one of the best smartphones on the market for long-range photography and video, at least based on the data in reports and leaks. Whether Apple will update the design for the next-generation telephoto lens cameras remains a mystery.

A real, powerful camera

Earlier reports also suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro will get a triple 48-megapixel camera with support for 8K video shooting. We’re also hearing talk of a mechanical iris feature that will give users more granular control over shooting photos.

The camera app will reportedly allow both front and rear-facing shots at the same time, a solution specifically designed for video blogging. It’s not exactly groundbreaking, however, as Samsung, for example, has been offering something similar on its smartphones for years.

The latest Apple leak also claims that the company will release a new camera app for the iPhone 17 Pro, which will focus on professional-grade features and deeper controls. Apps like Halide and Kino have remained favorites so far, so it’ll be interesting to see what Apple has to offer.

An app like Halide and Kino has been a favorite, so it’ll be interesting to see what Apple has to offer.

The iPhone 17 Pro could get a major camera update was first published on ITZine.ru.