iPhone 17 Pro's Rumored 8x Zoom Could Explain Larger Camera Bump
A few days ago, it was rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro models will offer up to 8× optical zoom, and this could explain why the devices are expected to have significantly larger rear camera bumps compared to previous models.
Specifically, it was rumored that the Telephoto lens in the iPhone 17 Pro models will be able to move, allowing for multiple focal lengths. As a result, the tipster claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro models will let you switch between 5× and 8× optical zoom, without tricks like sensor cropping. A moving Telephoto lens would require more parts and internal space, which could explain why the camera bump is expected to increase in size this year.
On the iPhone 16 Pro models, the Telephoto lens has a fixed focal length of 120mm, and it offers a single 5× optical zoom option. Apple says the devices also have a 2× optical zoom option, but that uses the main rear camera with sensor cropping, which in simple terms is a technique that effectively zooms in on the center of a larger photo.
Of the three rear camera lenses on the iPhone 16 Pro models, the Telephoto lens is the one that is furthest to the right, so the parts that would allow the lens to move on the iPhone 17 Pro models could be housed inside the middle of the camera bump, in the area between the lenses and the LED flash/rear microphone/LiDAR Scanner.
For now, this is only speculation about a rumor. We should find out what Apple has officially planned in just about six weeks from now.
Popular Stories
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Apple recently acquired Israeli startup Q.ai for close to $2 billion, according to Financial Times sources. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone maker Beats in 2014.
This is also the largest known Apple acquisition since the company purchased Intel's smartphone modem business and patents for $1 billion in 2019....
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
New M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models are slated to launch in the near future, according to information shared with MacRumors by an Apple Premium Reseller.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
The third-party Apple retailer said that MacBook Pro stock is very low currently because there is an imminent new product introduction. Apple typically coordinates supply with...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
