iPhone 17 Pro leaks are coming in fast—Here’s what we expect from the camera

Let’s take a look at the expected upgrades the iPhone 17 Pro models might bring to the table, based on the leaks and reports so far.

It has just been a few months since the iPhone 16 series launched, but we are already diving into leaks surrounding the iPhone 17 series, particularly the iPhone 17 Pro models. Recent leaks suggest that another device may undergo a drastic redesign and could even feature aluminium instead of titanium as its base material. Aside from the design-related details, there's already a lot of information about potential upgrades, especially surrounding the cameras.

iPhone 16 Pro could be the last phone to sport this design language. (Reuters)

Shaurya Sharma

There’s no denying that the camera experience is one of the key reasons why many people buy iPhones. From the looks of it, the iPhone 17 Pro is likely to be a significant step above the iPhone 16 Pro in several ways. Let’s take a look at the expected upgrades the iPhone 17 Pro models might bring to the table, based on leaks and reports so far.

Expected Camera Upgrades in the iPhone 17 Pro

Before diving into what the iPhone 17 Pro may offer, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 16 Pro introduced several upgrades over the iPhone 15 Pro, including a brand-new ultra-wide lens. The ultra-wide sensor was upgraded to a 48-megapixel unit from the 12-megapixel shooter on the iPhone 15 Pro.

Continuing this pattern, the next major upgrade is expected to be a 48-megapixel telephoto 5x tetra-prism camera on the iPhone 17 Pro. The current iPhone 16 Pro features a 12-megapixel 5x telephoto sensor, which produces good-looking shots but sometimes lacks detail compared to the “ultra” flagships in the Android world. This could be why Apple might switch to a 48-megapixel telephoto sensor.

Another major rumoured upgrade is a primary camera with a mechanical aperture, as reported by The Information. If true, this would allow users to adjust the size of the aperture, just like on a DSLR or mirrorless camera, to control the amount of light entering the sensor.

For instance, a smaller aperture increases the focus area, making shots sharper with a greater depth of field in well-lit conditions. And, a larger aperture creates a shallower depth of field with more background blur. A similar feature was seen in the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which allowed users to switch between apertures. While an upgrade to the ultra-wide sensor seems less likely, it cannot be ruled out entirely. The 48-megapixel ultra-wide sensor on the iPhone 16 Pro has already impressed us with mixed lighting conditions with less noise and more detail, and the iPhone 17 Pro could double down on this thanks to Apple’s computational photography.

As for the selfie camera, reports suggest that Apple may upgrade the current 12-megapixel unit on the Pro models to a 24-megapixel sensor. This could allow for greater detail and improved portrait shots.

What to Expect from Video Capabilities

iPhones have long been regarded as the leaders in smartphone video recording, a reputation the iPhone 16 Pro further solidified with features like 4K video recording at 120fps, even in ProRes Log.

It remains to be seen what the iPhone 17 Pro will bring in this regard. An upgrade to 8K resolution would certainly benefit many users, particularly content creators. Higher resolution allows for post-recording zooming, which enhances flexibility in post-production.

Also, while we are at it, it would be also great if Apple would allow users to shoot Cinematic Video in ProRes Log.