Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will both feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Tetraprism camera, marking the first time iPhone models will boast a rear camera system made up entirely of 48-megapixel lenses, according to a new rumor out of China.
Weibo account Digital Chat Station claims the iPhone 17 Pro camera specs will sport a 1/1.3″ 48MP Fusion lens, a 48MP Ultra Wide lens, and a new upgraded 48MP Tetraprism telephoto lens. Both the main and telephoto cameras are said to have hybrid glass-plastic lenses. Both Pro models front-facing camera will feature a 24MP front camera, said the leaker.
The claim jibes with a prediction by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In a Summer 2024 report, Kuo said the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded 48-megapixel Tetraprism camera for enhanced photo quality and zoom functionality.
Kuo said he is not certain whether the upgraded Tetraprism camera will be an iPhone 17 Pro Max-only feature. But if it is exclusive to that model, then the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models will get it in 2026.
Looking a bit further into the future, Kuo says Apple’s 2027 iPhones will sport a greatly improved Tetraprism camera with a better optical zoom.
Today’s rumor also corroborates Apple analyst Jeff Pu’s claim in August, that indicated that the iPhone 17, the “iPhone 17 Slim,” the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with a 24-megapixel front camera with six plastic lens elements. Currently, all iPhone 15 models are equipped with a 12-megapixel front camera with five plastic lens elements.
The iPhone 17 models is expected to launch in September 2025. Apple is expected to offer a new four-model lineup that drops the iPhone “Plus” model in favor of a slimmer device that most are referring to as the “iPhone 17 Air.”