Both iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Three 48MP Cameras

Both the iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Tetraprism camera, making them the first iPhone models to have a rear camera system entirely made up of 48-megapixel lenses, claims a new rumor out of China.

iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal Single Feature
According to the Weibo account Digital Chat Station, the iPhone 17 Pro camera specs will include a 1/1.3" 48MP Fusion lens, a 48MP Ultra Wide lens, and a new upgraded 48MP Tetraprism telephoto lens (up from 12MP on the iPhone 16 Pro models). Both the main and telephoto cameras are said to be hybrid glass-plastic lenses. Meanwhile on the front, both Pro models will feature a 24MP front camera, said the leaker.

The claim lines up with a prediction made by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a June 2024 report, Kuo said the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded 48MP Tetraprism camera for enhanced photo quality and zoom functionality. Kuo said he was uncertain whether only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature the upgraded Tetraprism camera, but today's rumor indicates that both Pro models will get the upgrade. The new camera requires all-new designed prisms, which must have a shorter form factor to reduce the camera's height, according to Kuo.

Today's rumor also corroborates Apple analyst Jeff Pu's claim in August that all four iPhone 17 models will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera. By comparison, all iPhone 16 models have a 12-megapixel front camera. Kuo also last year claimed that at least one iPhone 17 model would be equipped with a 24-megapixel front camera with a six-piece lens, so this upgrade has now been rumored by multiple sources, making it more likely. Kuo said these changes will "significantly improve the image quality" and low-light performance.

iPhone 17 models are expected to launch in September 2025. Apple is rumored to be introducing a new four-model lineup that drops the iPhone "Plus" model in favor of a slimmer device that we are provisionally calling "iPhone 17 Air," while the iPhone 17 Pro models are said to have a totally redesigned half-aluminum, half-glass back cover with a new rectangular camera module that could result in a smaller main camera sensor being used.

Related Roundup: iPhone 17

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Will Include These New Features for Your iPhone

Wednesday February 5, 2025 7:15 am PST by
iOS 18.3 was released last month, so the first iOS 18.4 beta should be coming soon. iOS 18.4 is expected to be a more substantial update for the iPhone, with several new features and changes related to Apple Intelligence and beyond. Apple's website suggests that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, following beta testing. Below, we outline what to expect from the update so far. Apple...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive an All-New Perk

Thursday February 6, 2025 11:21 am PST by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. iCloud+ is the official name for Apple's paid iCloud storage plans, which range from 50GB for $0.99 per month to 12TB for $59.99 per month in the United States. iCloud+ plans already come with multiple perks for free, such as Hide My Email and HomeKit Secure Video, and now there is another one...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb

iPhone SE 4 Launching as Soon as Next Week

Thursday February 6, 2025 3:30 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone SE could debut as soon as next week with a launch to follow later in February, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple isn't expected to hold an event for the iPhone SE 4, and will instead unveil the device through a press release. The iPhone SE 4 is expected to have an iPhone 14-style design, with Apple eliminating the thick bezels and Touch ID Home button of...
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.1 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Thursday February 6, 2025 7:31 am PST by
Apple is internally testing iOS 18.3.1 for iPhones, according to our website's analytics logs, which have been a consistently reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released within the next few weeks. iOS 18.3.1 should be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Apple Intelligence notification summaries for news and...
maxresdefault

An Apple TV Refresh is Coming in 2025 - Here's What You Should Know

Wednesday February 5, 2025 10:17 am PST by
Apple hasn't refreshed the Apple TV since 2022, but rumors suggest that we're finally going to get an update in 2025. We don't have a full picture of what to expect yet, but we have some hints on what's coming. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Updated A-Series Chip The current Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip that was in the iPhone 13 lineup, and it's time for...
iCloud General Feature Redux

Apple Ordered by UK to Create Global iCloud Encryption Backdoor

Friday February 7, 2025 2:37 am PST by
The British government has secretly demanded that Apple give it blanket access to all encrypted user content uploaded to the cloud, reports The Washington Post. The undisclosed order is said to have been issued last month, and requires that Apple creates a back door that allows UK security officials unencumbered access to encrypted user data worldwide – an unprecedented demand not before...
Apple Leak Feature

Apple Leaker Issues Apology: 'Profound and Expensive Mistake'

Friday February 7, 2025 9:21 am PST by
Last year, we reported that Apple sued its former software engineer Andrew Aude for providing journalists with confidential information about the company's future plans, including details about the Journal app, Vision Pro headset, and more. As reported by 9to5Mac, the Superior Court of Santa Clara County on Thursday dismissed the lawsuit after Apple and Aude reached an agreement to resolve...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses to Expand to These 7 U.S. States

Wednesday February 5, 2025 6:27 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in...

Top Rated Comments

DickieSmith Avatar
4 weeks ago
The first render MacRumors have used that I don't hate.

Not a particularly attractive design, but not downright ugly like many of the previous ones.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ctrlos Avatar
4 weeks ago

The first render MacRumors have used that I don't hate.

Not a particularly attractive design, but not downright ugly like many of the previous ones.
It does scream 'Pixel 9' though, which I think is a lovely bit of kit but do Apple want to be seen as copying another company so blatently? Doesn't exactly scream cutting edge of product design does it?

Apple, being seen by many as the 'default' are used to dictating the minutae of the phone market. You only have to look at how prevailant flat edges became after the iPhone 12 revamp. It would certainly be an interesting turn of events if they quietly secede that throne to Google :oops:

It would be an interesting year if Apple launch a 17 lineup with a Pixel 9-esque camera strip and Google nearly all but eliminate the thing altogether ('https://www.t3.com/tech/android-phones/pixel-9a-leaks-again-showing-google-is-heading-in-a-new-direction')
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
martinlk Avatar
4 weeks ago
I simply don't understand why 48MP camera phones are even a thing. Due to the physical limitations in sensor and lens size, the effective resolution will probably be close to 12-16MP even though the box says 48MP. Add to this that having smaller pixels (because you're putting more MP in the same size sensor) will introduce more noise and less dynamic range because each pixel collects less light compared to a sensor with fewer MP. It seems to me that this is almost entirely a marketing scam; one that actually results in a worse product:

* More noisy pixels
* Less dynamic range
* Larger image sizes (in terms of storage)
* More processing power required
* No added image detail over lower-megapixel sensors due to diffraction limits in such a small lens.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
4 weeks ago
megapixels mean nothing it’s about the sensor size, it’s all marketing the mp number. My dslr canon 5D mark iv is not 48mp but it’s a million times better image quality with any crop
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
martinlk Avatar
4 weeks ago

megapixels mean nothing it’s about the sensor size, it’s all marketing the mp number. My dslr canon 5D mark iv is not 48mp but it’s a million times better image quality with any crop
I have a 26MP Fujifilm. Even _talking_ about comparing the images of the Fujifilm with those of an iPhone is borderline insulting.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ctrlos Avatar
4 weeks ago

I simply don't understand why 48MP camera phones are even a thing. Due to the physical limitation in sensor and lens size, the effective resolution will be probably close to 12-16MP even though the box says 48MP. Add to this that having smaller pixels (because you're putting more MP in the same size sensor) will introduce more noise and less dynamic range because each pixel collects less light compared to a sensor with fewer MP. It seems to me that this is almost entirely a marketing scam; one that actually results in a worse product:

* More noisy pixels
* Less dynamic range
* Larger image sizes (in terms of storage)
* More processing power required
* No added image quality over lower-megapixel sensors

Its mainly for better Quad Bayer image stacking. For a 14mpx image the sensor is using 16 pixels-per-pixel or thereabouts. On an S24 Ultra, the 12mpx stacked images are much better than the unprocessed 200mpx images from the main sensor because the algorithms have more data to work with. With pixel-binning you have more light hitting the pixels because each one is 'bigger'.

You also have better digital zoom range when transitioning between lenses. If you need to shoot at 3.8x or 5.4x then that extra image data makes up for the lack of a proper optical zoom. Telemacro has improved performance due to the Ultrawide having a 'zoom' range without resorting to the 5x lens

In general what you're seeing is more flexibility. For most people, their phone is their camera and so it has to fit all sorts of scenarios. The processing is much of a muchness, with top of the line A-series and Snapdragon chipsets being almost too much for what a phone gets used for.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)