iPhone 17 Pro Camera Upgrades, Based on Latest Rumors

[MacRumors]

Apple is days away from unveiling the new iPhone 17 lineup at its "Awe dropping" event on September 9. As is often the case, some last-minute details have come our way that appear to bolster previous rumors about Apple's new devices, especially when it comes to new camera capabilities for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Here are the rumored features that could help photographers and content creators up their game:

• Upgraded front-facing camera: The iPhone 17 lineup is expected to feature a 24-megapixel front-facing camera with a six-element lens. The iPhone 14 and 15 feature a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with five plastic lens elements, and last year's iPhone 16 lineup features the same hardware. The upgraded resolution to 24 megapixels on the iPhone 17 will allow photos to maintain their quality even when cropped or zoomed in, while the larger number of pixels will capture finer details. The upgrade to a six-element lens should also slightly enhance image quality.
• Upgraded telephoto lens: An upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens on Apple's premium devices is expected to be optimized for use with Apple's Vision Pro headset, although we don't have any details on how it will interface with the Vision Pro. The upgraded Telephoto would make the iPhone 17 Pro models the first iPhones to have a rear camera system composed entirely of 48-megapixel lenses, making it capable of capturing even more photographic detail.
• 8x optical zoom: The upgraded Telephoto lens on Apple's iPhone 17 Pro models may have up to 8× optical zoom, compared to up to 5× optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The lens would need to move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths. This could explain why the iPhone 17 Pro models have larger rear camera bumps compared to previous models – the parts that allow the lens to move could be housed inside the middle of the camera bump, in the area between the lenses and the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR Scanner.
• Dual video recording: The iPhone 17 Pro models might offer dual video recording, a feature that would allow users to record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Some apps already support this functionality, which is useful for content creators, but the built-in camera does not.
• New variable aperture system: Apple may equip the iPhone 17 Pro models with mechanical aperture. Such a system would allow users to adjust the size of the camera lens opening through which light enters, which would improve depth of field control. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android smartphones have offered variable aperture over the years, such as Samsung's Galaxy S9 series.
• Major video recording enhancements: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that Apple plans to emphasize the iPhone 17 Pro's improved video recording capabilities when it unveils the device, but he has not revealed any specific new features that may be coming. Whatever Apple has in mind, it reportedly wants to "get the vlogging community and other video creators to move away from standalone cameras and use the iPhone for even more of their work." One possibility is 8K video capture, which would allow videographers to record using the Ultra Wide camera and then crop in 50% and still achieve 4K resolution.

Apple will reveal all on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The event will start at 10:00 a.m. We'll have all the details right here on MacRumors, so be sure to stay tuned.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro Camera Upgrades, Based on Latest Rumors

 

[EugW]

8x optical zoom: The upgraded Telephoto lens on Apple's iPhone 17 Pro models may have up to 8× optical zoom, compared to up to 5× optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The lens would need to move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths. This could explain why the iPhone 17 Pro models have larger rear camera bumps compared to previous models – the parts that allow the lens to move could be housed inside the middle of the camera bump, in the area between the lenses and the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR Scanner.

As discussed before, this is not necessarily true. The other possibility that Apple markets as "optical zoom" are cropped zoom images, which can be made possible with this new 48 MP sensor.

 

[UliBaer]

Genuinely awaiting my personal "Awe dropping" moment on Tuesday!

 

[Astuces iOS]

Where is the camera pro app?

 

[hellosil]

4K 60fps Spatial Video plz

 

[airwalk331]

Finally a front facing cam upgrade! The current front facing cam is garbage🤢

 

[centauratlas]

4K 60fps Spatial Video plz

8K would be nice too (7680 × 4320), get a little future-proofing in there.

 

[jntdroid]

Still debating picking up a 16 Pro vs. the 17 Pro as I miss the zoom and higher refresh screen, and I'm uncertain on that bulkier 17 Pro form factor... plus the rumored price bump, and the rumors around this zoom upgrade which may or may not be much of an upgrade... 🤷‍♂️

 

[justanotherdave]

Good on the article writer for mentioning dual video recording has already existed in third party Apps. Previous mentions left this part out. 😉

Improved video performance?

The 16 Pro already crushes Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel for video and it’s going to see significant upgrades? Woot!

 

[CrimsonPhoenix]

Take. My. Money.

 

[swiftapplefan]

As discussed before, this is not necessarily true. The other possibility that Apple markets as "optical zoom" are cropped zoom images, which can be made possible with this new 48 MP sensor.

View attachment 2543733

Well the humongous camera plateau seems like the perfect spot to put a moving lens in, while keeping battery size unchanged.

 

[iMac The Knife]

8K would be nice too (7680 × 4320), get a little future-proofing in there.

This iPhone will not be very functional by the time 8K is actually mainstream. It might make for a good paperweight though!

 

[Moreplease]

Usually when rumours arrive that turn out to be true, the rumours ‘click’ in the context of the moment, the likely direction of technological change, and Apple’s interest in function over gimmick – that is, they click for people with knowledge in the relative field.

In this case, just a few days before release, the Pro camera rumours are still not clicking for me (with some knowledge of cameras and optics). They’re a jumbled mess that still don’t make sense.

If I had to guess what’s going on with this latest rumour, I’d say the 8× zoom is obviously fake as EugW points out. At this point I’m guessing it’s the same optics and sensor size as the 16 Pro, just with a 48-megapixel Quad Bayer sensor, allowing slightly more cropping. Throw some dubious AI at the interpolation and call it a day, as Google did with the Pixel 10 phones. So the interpolation marketed as a greater zoom ‘clicks’ in the wider context of our moment.

Optical zooms do not make sense in a severely constrained form factor where you’re desperately trying to collect as many photons as possible.

Likewise, the variable aperture continues to make little sense, especially in the absence of a large increase in sensor area. What is needed instead is a variable ND filter for video, allowing automated 180-degree shutter angle rule. But there has been no suggestion of that, so I don’t know what’s going on there.

Meanwhile, none of that explains why the camera bump turned into a huge bar. Maybe that’s just to make room for a better cooling system while still maintaining or improving battery life?

 

[jz0309]

5/8x optical zoom will be an instant buy for me. If it is fake "crop zoom", no no for me.
"Crop zoom" gives you the field of view of a larger "zoom" but the focal length doesn't change, so it is really an optical illusion.

 

[EugW]

If I had to guess what’s going on with this latest rumour, I’d say the 8× zoom is obviously fake as EugW points out. At this point I’m guessing it’s the same optics and sensor size as the 16 Pro, just with a 48-megapixel Quad Bayer sensor, allowing slightly more cropping. Throw some dubious AI at the interpolation and call it a day, as Google did with the Pixel 10 phones. So the interpolation marketed as a greater zoom ‘clicks’ in the wider context of our moment.

Crop zoom would be 48 MP --> 12 MP, which in itself doesn't necessarily involve interpolation (even though there would likely be significantly more noise).

For the record, I do think the telephoto sensor will increase in size, but it would be a small incremental size increase.

Meanwhile, none of that explains why the camera bump turned into a huge bar. Maybe that’s just to make room for a better cooling system while still maintaining or improving battery life?

Yeah, I'm curious what the camera island will really be used for.

 

[ClockMeister]

Hmm ... 8x "optical zoom". OK, so I'll stick with the 13PM and use my SLR's 10x "optical zoom" if I need that kind of range. ;-)

 

[EugW]

Hmm ... 8x "optical zoom". OK, so I'll stick with the 13PM and use my SLR's 10x "optical zoom" if I need that kind of range. ;-)

Hopefully you carry your dSLR around with you everywhere you go then.

5/8x optical zoom will be an instant buy for me. If it is fake "crop zoom", no no for me.
"Crop zoom" gives you the field of view of a larger "zoom" but the focal length doesn't change, so it is really an optical illusion.

It's a matter of convenience. You can get similar results by manually cropping the pictures afterwards, but it's a royal PITA, and it makes framing harder when you take the picture. Plus, the results for cropped zooms can be quite decent if there is sufficient light. To me, having a 48 MP telephoto with a 7X or 8X cropped zoom would be a major win. In fact, I specifically did not buy the 16 Pro Max to replace my 12 Pro Max, because I was waiting for this new 48 MP telephoto sensor in the 17 Pro Max, with crop zoom. I am personally not expecting a true zoom with moving lenses, but we shall see next week.

 

[Hank001]

Where is the camera pro app?

Excellent point! I'm still waiting to do the impossible: playback a video, but reversed.

 

[Hank001]

Good on the article writer for mentioning dual video recording has already existed in third party Apps. Previous mentions left this part out. 😉

Then again, this 'journalist' didn't do any research, and thusly failed to state when Apple allowed 3rd party apps to do this. iPhoneX I believe, but MR can look that up for us.

 

[Moreplease]

Crop zoom would be 48 MP --> 12 MP, which in itself doesn't necessarily involve interpolation (even though there would likely be significantly more noise).

If you treat Quad Bayer pixels as output pixels and want a 12-megapixel output, yeah.

But quality will be poor using one-quarter of the already small tele sensor and non-binned Quad Bayer pixels – perhaps too poor for Apple to accept. Dunno.

Maybe the 8× zoom will be marketed as optical and there will be a further, ludicrous AI option out to 64× or something like that, as Google does with the Pixel 10 Pro (“Pro Res Zoom” up to 100×).

 

[jz0309]

Hopefully you carry your dSLR around with you everywhere you go then.


It's a matter of convenience. You can get similar results by manually cropping the pictures afterwards, but it's a royal PITA, and it makes framing harder when you take the picture. Plus, the results for cropped zooms can be quite decent if there is sufficient light. To me, having a 48 MP telephoto with a 7X or 8X cropped zoom would be a major win. In fact, I specifically did not buy the 16 Pro Max to replace my 12 Pro Max, because I was waiting for this new 48 MP telephoto sensor in the 17 Pro Max, with crop zoom. I am personally not expecting a true zoom with moving lenses, but we shall see next week.

I know you and I have different expectations for the telephoto but I use the 3x on my 13PM way more often than the 1x, so for me 5/8x optical would be the one reason to upgrade.
And my 100-400 lens on my dslr is my favorite lens, I even take macro photos with it
So we shall see what Apple will tell us on Tuesday…

 

[jz0309]

Where is the camera pro app?

There are plenty 3rd party apps available today …

 

[EugW]

If you treat Quad Bayer pixels as output pixels and want a 12-megapixel output, yeah.

But quality will be poor using one-quarter of the already small tele sensor and non-binned Quad Bayer pixels – perhaps too poor for Apple to accept. Dunno.

That's exactly what Apple does with the iPhone 16e's 2X setting for example. Images are 12 MP. Quality is fine if in daylight. I'm not sure how well a 17 Pro Max's 48 MP telephoto with cropping would perform in comparison though.

 

[Ruggy]

Apple is days away from unveiling the new iPhone 17 lineup at its "Awe dropping" event on September 9. As is often the case, some last-minute details have come our way that appear to bolster previous rumors about Apple's new devices, especially when it comes to new camera capabilities for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Here are the rumored features that could help photographers and content creators up their game:

• Upgraded front-facing camera: The iPhone 17 lineup is expected to feature a 24-megapixel front-facing camera with a six-element lens. The iPhone 14 and 15 feature a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with five plastic lens elements, and last year's iPhone 16 lineup features the same hardware. The upgraded resolution to 24 megapixels on the iPhone 17 will allow photos to maintain their quality even when cropped or zoomed in, while the larger number of pixels will capture finer details. The upgrade to a six-element lens should also slightly enhance image quality.
• Upgraded telephoto lens: An upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto lens on Apple's premium devices is expected to be optimized for use with Apple's Vision Pro headset, although we don't have any details on how it will interface with the Vision Pro. The upgraded Telephoto would make the iPhone 17 Pro models the first iPhones to have a rear camera system composed entirely of 48-megapixel lenses, making it capable of capturing even more photographic detail.
• 8x optical zoom: The upgraded Telephoto lens on Apple's iPhone 17 Pro models may have up to 8× optical zoom, compared to up to 5× optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The lens would need to move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths. This could explain why the iPhone 17 Pro models have larger rear camera bumps compared to previous models – the parts that allow the lens to move could be housed inside the middle of the camera bump, in the area between the lenses and the LED flash, rear microphone, and LiDAR Scanner.
• Dual video recording: The iPhone 17 Pro models might offer dual video recording, a feature that would allow users to record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously. Some apps already support this functionality, which is useful for content creators, but the built-in camera does not.
• New variable aperture system: Apple may equip the iPhone 17 Pro models with mechanical aperture. Such a system would allow users to adjust the size of the camera lens opening through which light enters, which would improve depth of field control. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android smartphones have offered variable aperture over the years, such as Samsung's Galaxy S9 series.
• Major video recording enhancements: Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that Apple plans to emphasize the iPhone 17 Pro's improved video recording capabilities when it unveils the device, but he has not revealed any specific new features that may be coming. Whatever Apple has in mind, it reportedly wants to "get the vlogging community and other video creators to move away from standalone cameras and use the iPhone for even more of their work." One possibility is 8K video capture, which would allow videographers to record using the Ultra Wide camera and then crop in 50% and still achieve 4K resolution.

Apple will reveal all on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The event will start at 10:00 a.m. We'll have all the details right here on MacRumors, so be sure to stay tuned.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro Camera Upgrades, Based on Latest Rumors

What is a '48 megapixel lens'? Sensor maybe?
If the new telephoto is optimised for use with the headset, how is that of benefit for the 99.99% of buyers who will never use it with a headset. It might actually make it worse for us? It would be better to be optimlsed for great photography with the naked eye.
8X lens? Is it still a tiny piece of cheap plastic or are they going to put a really high quality 'objective' on it for a change? $5 more spent there would pay real dividends. And what do they mean by 8x? Usually with cameras it means it's 8x whatever the smallest lens is so you may well be disappointed if you are hoping for 8x magnification which would mean it's the equivalent of about 300mm on a 35mm (which is about 6x magnification). It might be magnification but they don't say.
Having more pixels only really helps with cropping. It doesn't in itself improve image quality it's just a bigger number. A bigger sensor collecting more data improves image quality but if the sensor is the same size then having more photosites means there are more corners and edges so actually less data, and that means more noise and reduced image quality
Plus, it all produces more noise (obviously 48 million photosites produce more noise than 24) so it might also be worse for that reason It depends on how many more transistors they've included to process it and how.
Well performed sharpening and noise reduction will have a much bigger impact on image quality than having more megapixels but you will have much bigger file sizes for little benefit.
4 megapixels is still more than enough than anything you can see on screen, 8 is maximum for printing A4 or US equivalent and your domestic printer will start dropping them if you send bigger files than that. It's just a numbers game '48 must be better than 24 right, it's twice the number so it must be twice as good'.
A super clean 3mp image interpolated by good computer software will beat a noisy 48mp out of camera any day.
I'd much rather have 12mp, a larger sensor, superb signal processing, light or no noise reduction, light or no sharpening, and superb quality objectives.
We will have to see and fingers crossed, the image quality is superb. I don't think this sort of marketing is very promising however.

 

[svish]

From the camera perspective, the 17 Pro Max seems to be getting huge upgrades. Have been using third party apps for taking simultaneous front and back camera images/videos. Will be great if the 17 Pro models allow it using the camera app. Front facing camera is badly in need for an update too. Hoping the zoom is 5x at least. Overall excited to hear the rumored changes!