Next year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max will boast an upgraded 48-megapixel Tetraprism camera, promising enhanced photo quality and improved zoom capabilities, according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In his latest investor note on Medium, Kuo highlighted a significant specification upgrade: the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature a 1/2.6″ 48MP CIS sensor, a notable improvement from the 1/3.1″ 12MP sensor anticipated for this year’s iPhone 16 Pro models.
Both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to include Tetraprism telephoto lenses in 2024. This is a shift from the current iPhone 15 series, where the technology is exclusive to the larger Pro Max model. Presently, the iPhone 15 Pro has a 12-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max features a more advanced telephoto system allowing for 5x zoom. With the new upgrade, both iPhone 16 Pro models will offer at least 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom.
Kuo mentioned uncertainty about whether the upgraded Tetraprism camera will be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. If so, the technology is expected to be included in both iPhone 18 Pro models by 2026. The new Tetraprism camera design necessitates shorter prisms to reduce the camera’s height, adding complexity to the design.
This report aligns with a previous claim by Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities. Pu stated in December that the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 48MP telephoto lens will be optimized for use with Apple Vision Pro. Current iPhone 15 Pro models can record spatial video with 3D depth for Vision Pro playback – using both the main and ultra-wide lenses in landscape orientation to achieve this effect.
Pu also noted that both iPhone 16 Pro models would feature a 48MP ultra-wide lens. This would make the iPhone 17 Pro Max the first iPhone with a rear camera system entirely composed of 48-megapixel lenses. For context, the current iPhone 15 Pro models include a 48MP main lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 12MP telephoto lens.
Looking further ahead, Kuo predicts that the 2027 iPhone models will feature a significantly improved Tetraprism camera with enhanced optical zoom. This improvement may be achieved by increasing the number of prisms to extend the light path, potentially requiring a name change from “Tetraprism”. Increasing the number of prisms could necessitate smaller prism sizes, adding to the complexity of the design.
