This iPhone 17 Pro camera downgrade will actually be an upgrade.

According to Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Pro will get a 3.5x telephoto zoom instead of a 5x telephoto:

The new iPhone 17 Pro introduces a completely redesigned camera module. Gone is the diagonal lens arrangement: now the lenses are aligned horizontally in a wider layout. This isn’t just an aesthetic change, it’s a functional choice to integrate an enhanced telephoto lens that delivers exceptional performance.

Telephoto Lens: New Optical Zoom 

The telephoto lens of the iPhone 17 Pro is the heart of this revolution. Here’s what makes it special:

– Versatile focal length: It shifts from 120 mm (5x optical zoom) to 85 mm (3.5x), perfect for portraits and everyday shots.

– 48-megapixel sensor: Compared to the previous 12-megapixel sensors, it offers optical zoom up to 7x (160 mm) with top-quality images.

– Advanced optics: Ensures sharp details even at long distances.

With these features, the telephoto lens combines versatility and power, turning every shot into a masterpiece.

Currently the Pro iPhone has a weird gap in its zoom options at 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x. By having a 48MP 3.5x lens, they can provide 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3.5x, 5x, and 7x zoom options.

Granted the 2x, 5x, and 7x would be marketing tools for “digital zoom with optical quality,” but they do produce reasonable images considering you’re holding a ultra slim device when compared to a real camera.

The main upgrade for the 3.5x lens would be a lower aperture. The iPhone has been stuck at f2.8 for its telephoto options since the iPhone 13 Pro, and a lot of challenging light situations make the iPhone default back to the 1x Fusion camera leading to worse photos. A lower aperture would mean more low-light 3.5x photos would actually be 3.5x instead of a 3.5x crop from the 1x lens.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 and S25+ have an f2.4 3x optical zoom, and the S25 Ultra has an f2 3x optical zoom. Hopefully the camera tech has advanced enough to give us a similar aperture at 3.5x.