According to rumors, the iPhone 17 Pro versions will have a new rear panel design that extends the camera module horizontally from one end to the other. Many people have questioned whether the new, longer camera bar was a deliberate design decision or just an aesthetic one since its publicization. According to a tipster, the redesign might have been designed to improve the optical zoom of the telephoto camera. Other rumors have suggested that the new look might mean that Apple is adjusting the flash or the LiDAR.
The Telephoto Camera on the iPhone 17 Pro Models May Get an 8x Optical Zoom.
Jon Prosser of FrontPageTech asserted in his first YouTube video since the Apple lawsuit that there may be a technological reason for the atypically big empty area between the flash and LiDAR sensor on the right side and the triangle camera arrangement on the left. He asserted, emphasizing that it is only conjecture, that the tech behemoth from Cupertino might be preparing to install a larger telephoto camera sensor there to boost the optical zoom beyond the current 5x.
Last month, MacRumors also reported on this conjecture. A new 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 8x optical zoom may be included in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to the outlet, which cited an anonymous tipster. The movable lens, which enables continuous optical zoom across various focal lengths, was also mentioned in the paper.
Separately, according to a 9to5Mac story, the iPhone 17 Pro Max model might have an anti-reflective screen, like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Additionally, a 24-Megapixel TrueDepth front-facing camera and a bigger battery are reportedly supporting it.
