Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max will reportedly boast a major telephoto camera upgrade, according to a new post from Instant Digital on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The leaker, who has nearly 1.5 million followers, claims the device will have one of the best telephoto cameras ever put in a smartphone, though they stopped short of offering specifics.
Recent rumours point to both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max adopting a new 48-megapixel telephoto lens — a significant jump from the 12-megapixel sensor on the iPhone 16 Pro lineup. However, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously suggested that the 48MP telephoto could remain exclusive to the Pro Max.
The upgraded telephoto camera is said to offer up to 8× optical zoom, with a moving lens design that supports multiple focal lengths. This would supposedly allow users to switch between 5× and 8× optical zoom without relying on sensor cropping tricks, unlike the current Pro models, which simulate 2× optical zoom by cropping the image from the main wide camera.
The mechanical complexity and space requirements for a moving telephoto lens could explain why the iPhone 17 Pro models are rumoured to have a larger camera “bar” spanning the entire width of the device.
Instant Digital has a mixed track record, so take this report with a grain of salt. That said, they have previously nailed leaks like the Yellow colourway for the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Ultra 2’s Titanium Milanese Loop.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 lineup next month, with a recently leaked carrier document hinting at a September 9 reveal. What’s more, this year’s Pro series will reportedly start with 256 GB of internal storage. That base model bump — along with rumours of a price increase across the board — means buyers may be paying more for Apple’s latest flagship this year.
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We don’t need this. Make them cheaper!