iPhone 17 Pro Max rumor says it’ll have the ‘most powerful telephoto’ camera yet

• 📱 Apple is reportedly giving the iPhone 17 Pro Max a serious camera upgrade

• 🔭 A new rumor says it’ll have the “most powerful telephoto” camera yet

• 📸 Previous reports suggest the device could get an 8x telephoto lens

• 👀 It’ll be able to physically shift between 5x and 8x

• 📅 Apple is rumored to announce the iPhone 17 Pro on September 9

Apple is giving the iPhone 17 Pro Max the “most powerful telephoto” camera the smartphone market has ever seen, according to a new leak from Instant Digital on Weibo. The camera has been in the rumor mill for quite some time, with leaks and reports hinting that it could be a major upgrade not just for the iPhone, but for smartphones in general.

The rumors suggest that Apple will add a new 48MP telephoto camera to the iPhone 17 Pro Max, equipped with physically moving focal lengths that allow you to switch between 5x and 8x without using any digital cropping. This would be the first time a smartphone has been able to change its camera’s focal length this way. It would also be able to zoom in closer than any other smartphone, although it’s unclear if Apple will replicate features like Samsung’s 100x Space Zoom (as seen on the Galaxy S25 Ultra) with the new sensor.

Every iPhone with a telephoto camera has either supported 3x or 5x optical zoom in the past, so the inclusion of 8x zoom would be a big upgrade in and of itself. The ability to physically zoom in to 8x is another story; moving parts in smartphone cameras are always tricky and take up a lot of room, so it’s interesting to hear that Apple might’ve been able to figure it out for this year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max. Notably, we don’t expect this camera to be included on the smaller iPhone 17 Pro.

The iPhone 17 Pro camera is also expected to get a new 48MP ultra-wide lens, in addition to more granular control in the Camera app for professional-quality photos. We could also see 8K video recording, a new 24MP selfie camera, and dual-capture mode for recording with both the front and rear cameras at the same time.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 17 series at a rumored event on September 9. As we get closer to the end of August, we expect to officially find out when the event will actually occur. Stay tuned.

Max Buondonno is an editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.