iPhone 17 Pro cameras could finally allow Apple to counter Chinese brands

Apple ’s latest iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are touted to be among the best camera smartphones, powered by the Apple Intelligence capabilities that are likely to debut later this month. A new camera button adds convenience, but the overall camera systems on both iPhones appear minor upgrades over last generation, leaving several pain points as-is, especially long-range zoom that Chinese counterparts have lately been focusing on their mobile phone cameras. Next year’s iPhone 17 Pro, however, may change that.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max may pack a 48MP telephoto camera that will improve the details in photos taken with 5x or more zoom, according to analyst Jeff Pu. This will bring significant improvements over the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max that use 12MP telephoto cameras – the biggest reason behind detail loss in photos takes with 5x or beyond zoom. The independent benchmark platform DxOMark recently rated the iPhone 16 Pro Max, only to find that its cameras struggle to keep up with its Chinese counterparts, which come with advanced telephoto image sensing capabilities.

For reference, the newly launched Vivo X200 Pro uses a 200MP periscope telephoto camera with optical image stabilisation and 3.7x optical zoom. However, reviewers who got their hands on the phone have praised its hybrid and digital zooming capabilities, saying they are above par with the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Moreover, Apple ’s next Pro iPhone models will use a 24MP front camera – a significant upgrade over the 12MP camera that Apple has been using in the last few iPhone generations. Pu said the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will deliver better selfies.

The main camera, however, may remain the same as the iPhone 16 Pro. That means the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may use a 48MP main camera. But he expects Apple to offer additional focal length points on the iPhone 17 Pro and its Max variant.