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.

Popular Stories

apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
prioritize notifications ios 18 4

Everything New in iOS 18.4 Beta 1

Friday February 21, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Apple finally released the first beta of iOS 18.4 to developers for testing purposes, and while the beta is lacking some of the Apple Intelligence features we were hoping for, there are some notable new additions. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priority Notifications - Apple Intelligence There is a new Priority Notifications feature that can show you your most...
Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
ios 18 4 ambient music

iOS 18.4 Adds New Ambient Music Feature

Friday February 21, 2025 11:06 am PST by
In iOS 18.4, there's a new Ambient Music option that can be added to Control Center. There are four different sound categories, including Sleep, Chill, Productivity, and Wellbeing. Each category can be added to Control Center separately, and tapping one plays a random selection of sounds or music from that particular category. You can't choose what's playing from Control Center, but if...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Denies Speculation Surrounding iPhone 16e's Lack of MagSafe

Friday February 21, 2025 8:01 am PST by
Apple has confirmed that its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e has nothing to do with the device's lack of MagSafe support, according to Macworld. Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, there was some speculation online about how MagSafe magnets might have interfered with the C1 modem's cellular connectivity performance, and this was considered to be a potential reason for the...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
oppo find n5 fingers

World's Thinnest Foldable Phone Launches in Europe and Asia

Thursday February 20, 2025 8:55 am PST by
Oppo has launched the Find N5, the world's thinnest foldable phone yet. When closed, the book-style foldable measures 8.93mm. That's less than a millimeter thicker than an iPhone 16 Pro, and thinner than the Honor Magic V3, which was the previous record holder. The device is barely thicker than its USB-C port. Indeed, Oppo has suggested that the obstacle to making it any thinner is now "the...

Top Rated Comments

DickieSmith Avatar
6 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
6 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
6 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
6 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
6 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
6 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)