Leak: Apple iPhone 17 Pro to get exciting camera upgrades like continuous zoom and pro camera app

This story might be somewhat dubious, but it can’t be proven or disproven at this point in time. According to Joe Rossignol, the website Macrumors was contacted by an anonymous tipster with secret information about new iPhone 17 Pro features. The leaker claims this information comes from an Apple commercial currently in production at Division Films in Slovenia. Apple does appear as a client on their website, but Macrumors has not further verified the claims.

Continuous zoom like on the Sony Xperia 1? 

If the leaker's hints are accurate, Apple will switch from a 5x optical telephoto lens on the iPhone 16 Pro to an 8x telephoto. That alone would be exciting enough, but this detail is even more interesting because it's supposed to be a continuous optical zoom up to 8x, possibly similar to what Sony offers on the Xperia 1 VII. With the last two generations of Sony's flagship phones, users can optically zoom from 85mm to 170mm equivalent, similar to a traditional zoom lens, with the aperture changing from f/2.3 to f/3.5.

Finally a pro camera app from Apple? 

The next part of the leak is no less interesting, especially for camera professionals. This group of users can reportedly look forward to a dedicated pro camera app for photos and videos, which might make third-party apps like Halide, Kino, or Filmic Pro obsolete. However, it's unclear whether this app will be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro models or if it's simply a major update to Apple's Final Cut app.

Second camera button on top

Last but not least, the iPhone 17 Pro flagships are rumored to get a second camera button on the top of the device. This might sound unnecessary at first glance, but could make sense when filming and taking pictures with the iPhone 17 Pro in portrait mode.

Reiteration of two previous leaks

According to Macrumors, the tipster also commented on earlier leaks and rumors. Both the orange-looking copper color and the offset Apple logo on the back reportedly exist. The leaker did not comment on the rumored 48-megapixel sensor for the zoom camera. Earlier hints from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman have already indicated a major focus on video recording on the next generation of iPhones, but these new pieces of information should still be treated with caution. Currently, there are no indications or hints from other leakers regarding the three camera features mentioned above.