I think this is spot on! If there was a new button in the making, we’d know at this point
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Tipster: iPhone 17 Pro to Feature 8x Zoom, Pro Camera App, and More
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For sure on that. I started noticing much better image quality starting with my iPhone X around eight years ago. And steady yearly improvements since then from Apple. The rate of iPhone camera and image quality improvements Apple has made is pretty uncanny.
As an aside... I love it when people on tech forums say, paraphrased, "Real photographers use real cameras... dSLRs, mirrorless, etc, blah blah blah." To me that speaks volumes and makes me laugh knowing they're really more into acquiring camera gear rather than *making* photographs that say something to viewers.
At first, I was skeptical about Apple getting rid of the old-style ring/silent switch on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, but I prefer using the Action button. It makes it much easier to switch from ring to silent when my phone is on its nightstand charger or in my pocket. And for those of us who use the phone for photography, there have been meaningful improvements, though IDK how much of the rumors in this article will turn out to be true. So what's useless to you may be useful to others.
I replaced my daughter's defective iPhone XR with an iPhone 16e last month. Similar form factor, both with single small camera bump. iPhone 16e on left, iPhone XR on right:
I was a little worried about the 16e's sensor being smaller than the 16's, but I've been quite impressed with this 48 MP sensor nonetheless, providing both 1X and cropped 2X shots.
For me, my iPhone is like my car: use it until it breaks.
My iPhone is like my car.
I use them ALL the time so I want the best experience possible, but can’t justify upgrading every year.
One of the big reasons I upgrade every year is for the camera improvements. I’ll likely own that iPhone for only a year but the photos and videos I’ll always keep. I think of the purchase as upgrading the quality of all of the photos and videos I’ll take on trips for the next year. When I look back through photos and videos from different years the quality differences are obvious.
Apple is all about improving cameras every year. That is the primary way they have been getting people to upgrade. iPhone 18 was conceived two year ago given the product roadmap lead-times. Meanwhile, AI has changed everything and Apple really needs to transform iPhone into the must-have AI "always with you" gadget. I just played with the new Samsung Fold 7 and Flip and the software with AI integration is next level.
Really tempted to switch despite being a life-long iPhone user.
Really tempted to switch despite being a life-long iPhone user.
Smells like büļļșħıț.
Does any smartphone have a physical zoom motor? (Genuinely asking; I don’t know).
And I don’t think Apple is adding more buttons.
Does any smartphone have a physical zoom motor? (Genuinely asking; I don’t know).
And I don’t think Apple is adding more buttons.
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Yes, there are true zooms in smartphones. Very uncommon, but they exist.
But as mentioned before, my suspicion is that the other rumour is correct, achieving 7X zoom from a 3.5X 48 MP sensor using cropping, with a fixed focal length lens.
So there’s room for an additional camera button, but we can’t get a physical sim slot or a headphone jack?
Fire whoever is in charge
Fire whoever is in charge
Why unnecessary: “The lens can apparently move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths.” May be it’s the zoom control button! No?
I agree. I too do not think Apple is likely to be adding more buttons this year. First consumers need to learn to how to hold a camera and use the existing very helpful camera control button, and consumers do not appear to be making good progress there.
My iPhone is like my car.
I drive a mid-sized sedan, but Apple stopped selling them. Now all they sell is Ford F-150s.
I’d really like a new one, but the F-150 won’t fit in my parking space.
Apple will have to come up with some very strong improvements to get my money on a 17 Pro or 18 Pro. I’ll be looking to buy to replace my old 13 Pro, but I’m really tempted to go cheap and buy a 17e or 18e instead — I just don’t use the zoom lens enough. The best photographs I took now in my photo roll were on my iPhone 7 back in 2016, less is more and focuses you on composition and colour.
With all these tips, leaks influencers, etc. the only way I really know is to see the product when it’s finally released. I want to see the product. I don’t wanna read garbage like this.
Plot twist: The mini square actually pops out into a separate mini camera!
Surprise us Tim!!
Instead it will be a minor zoom bump and more over processed photos!
Surprise us Tim!!
Instead it will be a minor zoom bump and more over processed photos!
I seriously doubt Apple would add an optical zoom lens (in tetraprism form, no less) at this time.
Such a lens is much, much bigger than a fixed focal length tele.
Meanwhile the other rumour has the sensor size increase, which would multiple in size the already larger zoom lens. A zoom would realistically suggest the use of a smaller sensor size.
Far more likely is the previous rumour of a 3.5× fixed lens – reducing the problematic gap between main and tele cameras – in combination with a larger sensor with more pixels that supports digital zoom to 7× while probably slightly beating the old 5× lens in quality at a digitally cropped 5× equivalent.
But it is interesting that rumours keep surfacing about something moving in the lens, whether an aperture or a zoom. This makes me hold out hope for an ND filter of some sort – which would legitimately turn the iPhone into a serious all-purpose video camera.
Such a lens is much, much bigger than a fixed focal length tele.
Meanwhile the other rumour has the sensor size increase, which would multiple in size the already larger zoom lens. A zoom would realistically suggest the use of a smaller sensor size.
Far more likely is the previous rumour of a 3.5× fixed lens – reducing the problematic gap between main and tele cameras – in combination with a larger sensor with more pixels that supports digital zoom to 7× while probably slightly beating the old 5× lens in quality at a digitally cropped 5× equivalent.
But it is interesting that rumours keep surfacing about something moving in the lens, whether an aperture or a zoom. This makes me hold out hope for an ND filter of some sort – which would legitimately turn the iPhone into a serious all-purpose video camera.