Yesterday saw the emergence of three rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro camera system. The source for them has no track-record, so it’s entirely possible that all three are nonsense, but it’s at least plausible that they would have access to the claimed information.
Two of the rumored features would be welcome, even if one sounds rather unlikely. But the third is something I’m very much hoping is dead wrong …
The source claims to work for a video production company which lists Apple among its clients, and to be basing their information on an iPhone 17 Pro video currently in the works.
The three features said to be covered in the video are:
A first-party pro camera app from Apple
A second Camera Control button on the top edge of the phone
The telephoto lens jumping from 5x optical zoom to 8x
Apple pro camera app
In iOS 26, Apple simplifies the user interface for the Camera app. Opening it now, you initially see just Photo and Video options, though the rest of the features (time-lapse, slo-mop, cinematic video, portrait mode, spatial photography, and panoramas) are still there when you swipe.
The tipster suggests that the company is balancing out this simplified UI for the main camera app with a separate ‘pro’ app. No details are provided, but it’s assumed this would replicate features available in third-party ‘pro’ camera apps, like manual exposure and manual focusing.
I do see this as credible. Given that most iPhone users want a point-and-shoot experience, and rarely use any of the more specialized features, then I can absolutely see sense in simplifying the main app while making a more sophisticated one available to more niche users.
We’ve already see Apple do this for video with the Final Cut Camera app, so a separate pro app for still photography is absolutely believable.
Second Camera Control button
This is described as being on the top edge of the phone, making it accessible for portrait photos.
This seems a little harder to believe. My anecdotal experience is that hardly anyone continues to use the existing Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 Pro once the novelty wears off, so a relatively expensive hardware upgrade for rather niche use seems questionable to me.
All the same, if it were true, I’d welcome it – I am one of the minority who does use the existing button.
8x telephoto lens
The third rumor says Apple is increasing the telephoto lens from 5x optical zoom to 8x – and it’s this one I’m very much hoping isn’t true.
The telephoto lens initially started as a 2x optical zoom. This produced a useful focal length that I used quite frequently. When it was increased to 3x, it created something close to the 70mm focal length I consider ideal for portraits, though I used it a bit less for other shots.
But when Apple swapped out the 3x lens for a 5x one, it became almost useless to me. Yes, it did provide enough compression and optical depth of field control to provide some natural bokeh, but even for portraits 120mm equivalent was just too tight most of the time, and I almost never use it for anything else.
An 8x telephoto would mean swapping out an already too-narrow 120mm lens for a ridiculous 192mm one! I’m sure some birdwatchers might appreciate it, maybe some sports fans too, but anyone seriously into either uses a standalone camera. For most of us, this would be absurdly tight.
Sure, some smartphone brands chase numbers – with 10x lenses and more, as well as megapixel numbers that sound impressive on the box but generate horrendous noise in real-life use. Apple resisted this game altogether for a very long time. It has now started chasing the numbers to a far greater extent, but I really hope it won’t do this.
That’s my view – what’s yours? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Photo by Patrice Bouchard on Unsplash