By this time next month, the world could be feasting its eyes on Apple’s new iPhone 17 series. A host of big changes are expected on the next generation iPhones, with the biggest of them reserved for the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17 Pro Max. While the Air is in the news for bringing back slim and sleek iPhones, most of our eyes are on the feature-loaded Pro variant. And now, new leaks suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro Max could be getting the world’s best telephoto camera on any mobile phone.
Rumours are circulating that Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a major upgrade to its telephoto camera, setting a new standard for smartphone photography. According to a post from a reliable Chinese leaker known as Instant Digital, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is expected to get a superior telephoto lens system, with the potential of outperforming competitors.
Better zoom for iPhone 17 Pro Max
The most notable change is a boost to a 48MP telephoto camera, which will be a substantial upgrade from the current 12MP sensor found on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, this sensor upgrade will be limited to the iPhone 17 Pro Max – no better zoom performance for the iPhone 17 Pro. Hence, this could be Apple’s way of urging people to get the more expensive iPhone 17 Pro Max, with size not being the sole reason to upscale.
That said, the Zoom camera would see more than just an increase in megapixels. The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s new telephoto lens is rumoured to employ a moving element within the camera module. This innovative design would allow the camera to achieve multiple focal lengths, giving users the option to switch between 5x and a superior 8x optical zoom. Unlike other high-end phones, this technology would allow for greater optical magnification, thus not needing digital cropping for up to 8x, promising superior image quality.
Hence, when you wonder why the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a huge camera hump, remember this.
Not the first time Apple reserves a feature for the ‘Pro Max’
Apple has a history of reserving its most advanced camera technology for its largest and most expensive devices. For example, the previous generation iPhone 15 Pro Max was the only model to feature the 5x optical zoom tetraprism lens in the iPhone 15 range. While Apple standardized it for the iPhone 16 Pro models, the trend is expected to make a comeback with the iPhone 17 series. Similarly, the iPhone 7 Plus was the only model to get Apple’s dual camera system in the last decade.