We’re probably about six weeks away from Apple announcing the iPhone 17 Pro. Much of what we expect to see has been leaked for months, but a new rumor has surfaced about some unexpected camera upgrades.
According to Joe Rossignol at MacRumors, the site received an anonymous tip sharing unverified information based on an ad being produced for the upcoming flagship iPhone:
The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients.
The tip is completely unverified, but who knows, sometimes these things turn out to be true. Just know that the claim made by an anonymous tipster is purely in the rumor category and not a claim made by a named analyst or reporter.
With that being said, what does the anonymous tipster actually claim? Three things. First, they claim the telephoto lens on the iPhone 17 Pro will jump from 5x to 8x optical zoom with the ability to move and reach different focal points. They also claim the iPhone 17 Pro will support a pro camera app for photo and video. Perhaps most incredibly, they claim the iPhone 17 Pro will include another Camera Control button somewhere along the iPhone’s top edge.
9to5Mac’s Take
It’s smart for MacRumors to pass along the anonymous tip while correctly characterizing it as unverifiable information. Nothing feels worse than sitting on an anonymous tip from July that turn out to be true in September.
As for the three claims, the two hardware features seem pretty farfetched. It’s been virtually impossible for Apple to keep physical component details secret. Instead, hardware rumors tend to surface years in advance. If anything, we tend to learn about more hardware efforts than what Apple actually manages to deliver. Solid state volume buttons come to mind.
Between the two hardware rumors, though, the camera zoom detail seems more plausible than a previously unrumored second Camera Control component. iPhone case makers are usually pretty clued in about what to expect, even if sourcing sapphire Camera Control buttons is only possible after launch. But who knows!
The pro camera app is most plausible.
Back in April, leaker Jon Prosser stated that recording video from multiple cameras simultaneously would be a native feature exclusively on iPhone 17 Pro models. That’s a weird claim since iPhones have been able to do that with third-party apps with Apple’s support for years. Nevertheless, Prosser’s software sources are apparently accurate enough to get him sued by Apple.
As part of iOS 26, Apple has taken steps to simplify the default Camera app by focusing on video and photo capture while making other modes less visible. Having a pro version of the app could allow Apple to stop the impossible balancing act of having one camera app that satisfies casual shooters and professional photographers without compromise.
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