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iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumored to Have Major Telephoto Camera Upgrade

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The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a significantly upgraded Telephoto camera, according to a post this week from Instant Digital, an account with nearly 1.5 million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

iPhone-17-Pro-Iridescent-Feature-2.jpg

In fact, the leaker said the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have one of the best Telephoto cameras on any smartphone, but they did not elaborate.

More recent rumors have indicated that both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto camera. Last year, however, well-connected Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo did suggest the 48-megapixel Telephoto camera might be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Whether it is on the Pro and/or Pro Max, the upgraded Telephoto camera is rumored to offer up to 8× optical zoom. Specifically, it has been rumored that the lens will be able to move, allowing for multiple focal lengths. As a result, a tipster claimed that it will be possible to switch between 5× and 8× optical zoom, without tricks like sensor cropping. A moving Telephoto lens would require more parts and internal space, which could explain why the camera bump is expected to be larger on iPhone 17 Pro models.

On the iPhone 16 Pro models, the 12-megapixel Telephoto lens has a fixed focal length of 120mm, and it offers a 5× optical zoom option. Apple says the devices also have a 2× optical zoom option, but that uses the main rear camera with sensor cropping, which in simple terms is a technique that effectively zooms in on the center of a larger photo.

Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, the account does not have a perfect track record.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in less than a month from now.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumored to Have Major Telephoto Camera Upgrade
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/08/15/iphone-17-pro-max-telephoto-camera-rumor/
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I'm skipping the 17 pro update if this is the case.

Apple, listen, I'm not carrying around a phablet as my phone. We all know you have the capability to put these flagship camera updates into both pro models. The next year's model always, somehow, miraculously, has the same cameras the following year.

Stop screwing your pro-line customers with these Max-only updates. These flagship camera updates are mostly why I would consider upgrading.
 
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I remember a time when Steve Jobs would deliberately only release the minimum necessary iterations of a product at a time. He'd cut out what he perceived to be redundancies in their product lines. For instance, he'd release the new (singular) iPhone, not 4 different iPhones and 5 different Macs with blurred distinctions. Steve Jobs benefited shareholders and customers. Cook (i.e., Tim Apple), however, is solely a shareholder's dream.
 
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Why do all these renders have a line between the side rails and the back? If it's one milled piece of aluminum it won't look like that.
 
zubikov said:
Apple, listen, I'm not carrying around a phablet as my phone. We all know you have the capability to put these flagship camera updates into both pro models. The next year's model always, somehow, miraculously, has the same cameras the following year.
Click to expand...
It’s not a miracle, but miniaturization, rearranging internal components, reduction of costs, or a mix of these and more. There are always tradeoffs.
 
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Digital Dude said:
Given Apple’s reputation for overpromising and underdelivering, I’ll only believe it when I see it.
Click to expand...
It's funny because Apple had the opposite reputation until very recently, and it's funny because of all their announcements they've ever made, I can only recall one or two examples of them overpromising--Siri AI and AirPower. Reminds me of an old children's book, Sideways Stories from Wayside School. A character, Eric Fry, was the best athlete in his class and dropped the ball once and the other kids nicknamed him "Butterfingers".😆
 
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Thought Thinking Thought said:
I remember a time when Steve Jobs would deliberately only release the minimum necessary iterations of a product at a time. He'd cut out what he perceived to be redundancies in their product lines. For instance, he'd release the new (singular) iPhone, not 4 different iPhones and 5 different Macs with blurred distinctions. Steve Jobs benefited shareholders and customers. Cook (i.e., Tim Apple), however, is solely a shareholder's dream.
Click to expand...
It's also nice for a wide range of consumers with a wide range of preferences who know exactly what they want and don't want.
 
Thought Thinking Thought said:
I remember a time when Steve Jobs would deliberately only release the minimum necessary iterations of a product at a time. He'd cut out what he perceived to be redundancies in their product lines. For instance, he'd release the new (singular) iPhone, not 4 different iPhones and 5 different Macs with blurred distinctions. Steve Jobs benefited shareholders and customers. Cook (i.e., Tim Apple), however, is solely a shareholder's dream.
Click to expand...
No, SJ didn’t release 5 different Macs, but way more. For example, Apple had 6 different Mac models in 2008 (+ Xserve). In some cases, with more variations than today (i.e. different display sizes for the iMac). Including products with very “blurred distinctions”, like a MacBook that was identical, design-wise, to the MacBook Pro. The lineup was very similar to the current one, even if the company was worth 1/50 of what it is today.

Also, to some extent you can benefit shareholders without benefiting users, but not very much, specially when most of your income depends on final customers, which is Apple’s case. If Apple makes shareholders happy is because they make many customers happy, more than ever before.
 
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I feel like I heard this "moving telephoto lense only for the pro max" rumor weeks ago. Unfortunately I was just randomly surfing so I cant remember the source.

I´ll only get a new Phone in the smaller Pro brings the camera tech I hope for. If they put an optical zoom and the 48chip only in the max I´ll rather save my money and wait a few more years until it trickles down in the normal pro. There is literally nothing asides the missing camera and battery life that I dislike about my 12 Mini. Not buying a 1200+€ phone when I can see how they will sell me the next one years down the line right away.
 
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MacRumors said:


The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a significantly upgraded Telephoto camera, according to a post this week from Instant Digital, an account with nearly 1.5 million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

iPhone-17-Pro-Iridescent-Feature-2.jpg

In fact, the leaker said the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have one of the best Telephoto cameras on any smartphone, but they did not elaborate.

More recent rumors have indicated that both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Telephoto camera. Last year, however, well-connected Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo did suggest the 48-megapixel Telephoto camera might be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Whether it is on the Pro and/or Pro Max, the upgraded Telephoto camera is rumored to offer up to 8× optical zoom. Specifically, it has been rumored that the lens will be able to move, allowing for multiple focal lengths. As a result, a tipster claimed that it will be possible to switch between 5× and 8× optical zoom, without tricks like sensor cropping. A moving Telephoto lens would require more parts and internal space, which could explain why the camera bump is expected to be larger on iPhone 17 Pro models.

On the iPhone 16 Pro models, the Telephoto lens has a fixed focal length of 120mm, and it offers a single 5× optical zoom option. Apple says the devices also have a 2× optical zoom option, but that uses the main rear camera with sensor cropping, which in simple terms is a technique that effectively zooms in on the center of a larger photo.

Instant Digital has accurately leaked Apple information before, such as the Yellow finish for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2's Titanium Milanese Loop. However, the account does not have a perfect track record.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series in less than a month from now.

Article Link: iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumored to Have Major Telephoto Camera Upgrade
Click to expand...
Although of course, I hope to see the Pro with all of the camera features of the Pro Max, I understand that sometimes there is an issue with internal space, which is why all Android phones with big periscope lenses are at least 6.5” or larger, due to the space needed.
Having said that, I’m positive the 17 Pro will also have the 48 megapixel Telephoto lens. Maybe the “super zoom” we heard about in late 2023, will be for the Pro Max only.
 
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