iPhone 17 Pro Max said to get a 48MP tetraprism telephoto, with bigger zoom gains in 2027
The rumor
Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone 16 Pro pair will reuse the 15 Pro Max's 5x telephoto unchanged, the high-end iPhone 17 will move to a 48MP tetraprism telephoto with newly designed, shorter prisms, and 2027 iPhones will add more prisms for longer optical zoom.
The claims
- iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max reuse the 15 Pro Max's 5x telephoto with identical specsMing-Chi KuoRight
- High-end iPhone 17 (Pro Max) gets a 48MP telephoto cameraMing-Chi KuoRight
- The upgraded telephoto keeps a tetraprism design with newly designed prismsMing-Chi KuoRight
- 2027 iPhones get a telephoto with more prisms and longer optical zoomMing-Chi KuoOpen
Scored when the product is announced.
Apple announces the iPhone Duo, its first foldable, with two 48MP rear cameras
The Duo keeps its camera simple: a 48MP 26mm f/1.6 main camera with an optical-quality 2x crop, plus the same 48MP 13mm f/2.2 ultra wide as the iPhone 18 Pro. That gives a 4x optical-quality zoom range but no dedicated telephoto. The main camera records 4K120 in Dolby Vision, and there are two selfie cameras: a 12MP f/2.2 Center Stage camera on the outer screen and an f/1.8 FaceTime camera under the inner display. It starts at $1,999 with 256GB, with pre-orders on October 16 and sales from October 23.
iPhone Air 2 tipped to add a 48MP Ultra Wide camera
In a GF Securities note, Jeff Pu says the second-generation iPhone Air, due in early 2027, will add a second 48MP rear camera, an Ultra Wide, and keep an 18MP Center Stage front camera.
iPhone 18 Pro said to pair variable-aperture main camera with three 48MP sensors
Jeff Pu's GF Securities note says the iPhone 18 Pro models will keep three 48MP rear cameras, including a periscope telephoto, with a variable-aperture main camera and an 18MP front camera.