iPhone 17 Pros might have 8x optical zoom and a second Camera Control button

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to feature an optical zoom boost from 5x to 8x and introduce a second Camera Control shutter button.

MacRumors received an anonymous tip from someone with no proven track record who is apparently familiar with Apple’s commercial for the iPhone 17 Pros that’s allegedly being produced by a Slovenian company called Division Film.

Although Apple is Division Film’s client, the publication couldn’t independently confirm any of the information shared by the tipster, so take everything with a few pinches of salt. The video advertisement reveals several improvements that will distinguish the camera capabilities of this year’s iPhone 17 Pros versus the regular models, and they reportedly include 8x optical zoom and a second Camera Control button. On top of that, there mght be a new Apple camera app in the works.

iPhone 17 Pro camera features rumored to include 8x optical zoom and a second Camera Control shutter button

A tipster claims that a telephoto lens on the iPhone 17 Pro models can move within the housing, which allows for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths. If true, that will be the first time Apple has implemented a moving lens. Each camera on your iPhone, such as wide, ultra-wide and telephoto, has a different focal length.

With some models, like the iPhone 15 Pros and iPhone 16 Pros, the main camera uses digital cropping of the sensor to simulate different focal lengths, like 24mm, 28mm and 35 mm. A moving lens would achieve different focal lengths through physics instead of through a combination of multiple lenses and digital processing.

An additional Camera Control button sounds like a bizarre addition. A second button would be located on the top edge and be used to quickly access the camera and related settings. “This would complement the Camera Control button on the bottom-right edge of all iPhone 16 models,” writes MacRumors, but the site doesn’t explain how exactly a second button that would be used “for quickly accessing the camera and related settings” would complement the existing button which is already being used to quickly access the camera and related settings.

The convenience of two Camera Control buttons

So why redundancy? The only answer I have is convenience. For some people, the location of the Camera Control button isn’t ideal; when you turn your phone upside down, it’s not very easy to reach the Camera Control in landscape orientation with your finger. Another button on the left side (the top side of the device in portrait orientation) would solve this problem.

But would Apple invest in another button that serves the same function just for the sake of convenience, more so knowing that we haven’t seen too many complaints from people about the location of the existing Camera Control shutter button?

On the other hand, a second Camera Control button isn’t that shocking in light of another rumor saying an upcoming M5 iPad Pro refresh will have two FaceTime cameras for great selfies in any orientation.

“Apple is apparently adding a second, portrait-side front-facing camera to the upcoming M5 iPad Pro, presumably so FaceTimers and selfie fans can use the device equally well in either orientation,” Mark Gurman wrote on Bloomberg. “This isn’t particularly revolutionary, but it’s a nice enhancement.”

A new Apple camera app?

Finally, there will apparently be an all-new pro camera app from Apple for both photos and videos. “This app would compete with the likes of Halide, Kino and Filmic Pro,” the site writes. However, the tipster said this could also end up being nothing more than a major update to Apple’s existing Final Cut Camera app, which was released in November 2024 as a pro-grade camera for photos and videos.

“The tipster also said that rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro having a new copper-like color option and a centered Apple logo are apparently true,” reads the article.

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will be announced alongside the base iPhone 17 and a new ultra-thin model, dubbed iPhone 17 Air, replacing an iPhone Plus in the lineup. The iPhone 17 Pros are said to have a triple-48MP camera system out the back with improved video recording capabilities, including the ability to record video with the front and rear cameras simultaneously.

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