The iPhone 17 Pro Could Get Some Cool Camera Upgrades
Credit: Asher Dipprey / Front Page Tech
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The camera array on this year’s iPhone 17 Pro models could get more than just a redesign and some improved sensors, if a new anonymous report is to be believed.
Annual camera improvements have become par for the course on each year’s new iPhones — and this is particularly true on the Pro models — so the rumors that have been circulating for nearly a year about a 48-megapixel telephoto sensor aren’t a big surprise. However, that’s about the only big camera news we’ve heard for this year’s iPhone 17 Pro models — until now, that is.
Over the weekend, an “anonymous tipster” contacted MacRumors with what they claim are several significant camera-related changes coming to this year’s models, including an expanded optical zoom, a new “pro camera app,” and even a second Camera Control button.
As MacRumors’ Joe Rossignol notes, this information comes from an unusual source. While most leaks we hear tend to originate from Apple’s supply chain, and some of the more notable ones come from sources within or close to Apple Park, this one is from a film company that’s been contracted to produce a commercial for the iPhone 17 Pro.
The name of the firm was briefly shared by MacRumors, as the tipster didn’t initially request anonymity, but has since been removed to protect their privacy. Rossignol noted that the company publicly lists Apple among its clients on its website, and we were also able to confirm that, observing that Apple is one of over 100 brands listed, which includes numerous other high-profile companies. However, the information itself has not been independently confirmed or corroborated through any other sources. It’s also not entirely clear if the source works for the film company in question or is connected to it in some other way, as the report merely says they’re “familiar” with the commercial in question.
Nevertheless, if this information is accurate, the iPhone 17 Pro could be getting three interesting new features:
An 8X optical zoom on the telephoto lens.
The 8X optical zoom would represent a significant bump over the 5X that was first introduced on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and later came to both iPhone 16 Pro models. This also contrasts with a July 2024 report from Ming-Chi Kuo, who acknowledged that Apple is working on greater zoom levels eventually, but expects 5X to remain the norm until at least the iPhone 19 Pro arrives in 2027.
The primary limitation to increasing optical zoom levels is the amount of physical space inside the iPhone. Apple overcame this in the iPhone 15 Pro Max with a new tetraprism lens, but there wasn’t enough room in the iPhone 15 Pro to accommodate this. The consensus among analysts is that the desire to increase the iPhone 16 Pro’s screen size to 5X was one of the main reasons it grew larger than its predecessor.
According to Kuo, Apple plans to increase zoom levels in the 2027 iPhone Pro models by adding additional prisms to the tetraprism lens. That will undoubtedly require more space inside, but not as much as extending the length of a traditional periscope lens system. The expanded camera bump, widely expected to arrive on the iPhone 17 Pro models, could provide some additional space for higher optical zoom quality. However, it still seems a little early for this to happen.
However, another possibility is that Apple could achieve a higher optical-quality zoom level through pixel binning or sensor-cropping, much the same way it does to achieve a 2X zoom on recent iPhone models. That seems far more likely, as an 8X optical zoom would replace the current 5X zoom, arguably limiting flexibility.
Still, unless Apple plans to drop the optical zoom to 4X, the reports of an 8X optical zoom using sensor cropping don’t add up; a virtual zoom feature on a 5X lens would allow iPhone Pro owners to choose between 48 MP 5X or 12 MP 10X optical-quality images by utilizing the 12 million pixels in the center of the sensor for the more zoomed in ones.
An additional Camera Control
The Camera Control was arguably the most significant camera improvement on last year’s iPhone models, and the tipster suggests that Apple plans to double down on it by adding a second one.
The idea is that Apple may place another Camera Control on the top edge of the iPhone to provide easier access for those who hold their iPhones in a way that makes the existing Camera Control awkward to use.
There’s no word on whether this button would serve as an alternative to the standard Camera Control or if it would have a different function. However, this one sounds especially odd, and if such a thing were happening, we’d almost certainly have heard leaks about it by now through the usual case makers that would have to deal with such a change, so we recommend approaching it with a healthy dose of skepticism.
A new “Pro” camera app for photos and videos
Lastly, Apple is reportedly working on a pro camera app that will handle both photos and videos, providing capabilities to rival apps like Halide, Kino, and Filmic Pro. This may not be an “iPhone 17 Pro” feature, as it’s likely Apple would make this into a standalone app, but it’s possible it could be available solely for the newest Pro models.
However, it also sounds like this may not be an entirely new initiative. Last year, Apple released Final Cut Camera for iPhone alongside the long-awaited iPad version of Final Cut Pro. This is already a pro-level camera app for video, and even the tipster suggests that this “pro camera app” may just be an overhauled version of that.
Such an app might also be Apple’s concession to simplifying the built-in Camera app in iOS 26. While none of the app’s capabilities have been removed, the user interface has been streamlined to make it cleaner and easier for the casual user. A separate pro app, created by Apple, could take full advantage of everything the iPhone camera has to offer without compromising on functionality.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
