It’s finally that time of the year — Apple has introduced the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max devices with a new aluminum unibody design, improved resistance against drops and scratches, a better processor, and an all-new camera system. Whether you’re a creator, media personality, or just someone who really enjoys taking the best photos and videos, the iPhone 17 Pro brings several improvements compared to previous models.
If you’re planning to upgrade to these new iPhone devices or you’re just curious about all the improvements Apple introduced this year, you should note that the iPhone 17 Pro’s camera system brings the best lenses on an iPhone so far. In this article, we’ve gathered everything new with the iPhone cameras compared to the previous generation, highlighting the updated lenses, focal length differences, and higher-resolution sensors. If you’re a photography enthusiast, you’re surely going to appreciate the enhancements Apple introduced this year to the iPhone 17’s camera plateau.
6 new camera features you get with the iPhone 17 Pro
Better photo processing: The main and ultra-wide cameras on the iPhone 17 Pro are the same as last year. Still, Apple claims it has improved the photo processing compared to the iPhone 16 Pro, thanks to the new chip and algorithm tweaks.
All-new telephoto camera: Apple has replaced the older 12MP 5X telephoto lenses with an all-new 48MP 4X sensor. The larger sensor captures much better details and even offers better low-light performance, thanks to a wider aperture.
Better in-sensor crop: The new 48MP 4X camera allows Apple to crop into the sensor for an 8X output that’s almost lossless. When zooming in digitally, the max level is now 40X compared to 25X on the iPhone 16 Pro.
Dual Capture: Record with the main and selfie cameras at the same time. Apple says it’s possible to record up to 4K with Dolby Vision HDR at 30 fps.
ProRes RAW: This iPhone 17 Pro supports Apple’s video format that combines RAW image data with ProRes compression.
Genlock support: With Final Cut Camera 2 and proper gear, iPhone 17 Pro users can synchronize multiple video sources to a common reference signal, so frame timing can be perfectly aligned.
iPhone 17 Pro’s Center Stage camera bring an entire new experience
Apple has finally revamped the front-facing camera on the iPhone 17 Pro with a new Center Stage camera. With a square sensor, the iPhone 17 Pro now takes 18MP selfies, but that’s not even the best part. The primary advantage of a square sensor is that users don’t have to turn their iPhones into a landscape orientation when clicking group selfies with more people. The Center Stage feature uses AI to automatically expand the field of view and frame while the phone remains in the portrait orientation.
Apple also brings ultra-stabilized video in 4K HDR, which pairs nicely with the new Dual Capture feature. According to the company, it’s designed for moments when you want to speak directly to the camera while simultaneously capturing behind-the-scenes action. For FaceTime and video calls, the iPhone 17 Pro camera keeps users steady and centered in the frame. Altogether, these upgrades make the iPhone experience one of the most refined yet.