If some new rumors turn out to be accurate, the inevitable iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max may be getting some substantial camera upgrades.
According to a rumor from MacRumors, which claims to have obtained the information from a source familiar with an upcoming iPhone ad, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will sport a telephoto lens with an 8x optical zoom. The rumor also states Apple’s newest family of phones will feature a camera control button on the “top edge” of the devices and an all-new pro camera app.
An 8x optical zoom would mark a fairly significant upgrade over the 5x optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models. While Apple hasn’t confirmed anything yet, it would make sense to see some major upgrades, considering that leaks suggest the iPhone 17’s camera array will also receive a full redesign.
The rumor of an additional camera control button sounds a little less likely, as Apple just added a customizable Action button to last year’s iPhone 16 lineup. Though this button replaced the Ring/Silent switch of previous models, it has since been commonly used by many iPhone users as a dedicated camera button. It would seem a bit premature to add yet another button to the device. Stranger things have happened, though.
Not much was shared about the new camera app, so it’s not certain whether the app would be exclusive to Pro models or available to all iPhone 17 users. MacRumors’ source claims that Apple could simply be bringing a major update to its existing Final Cut Camera app instead.
A few months ago, Front Page Tech’s Jon Prosser also stated that the iPhone 17 Pro models will allow video to be recorded from the front and back cameras at the same time, which would be quite a cool feature for enthusiasts and content creators. If all of these rumored upgrades turn out to be true, iPhone users could be looking at some great reasons to upgrade later this year.
Of course, these rumors come from an unverified source with no history of leaks, so take them with a grain of salt for now. We’ll certainly learn everything we need to know about the iPhone 17 family when Apple unveils its new devices, which will presumably happen in September.
