IPhone 17 Pro Max Will Be The First Model With Three 48MP Cameras

The iPhone 17 Pro Max which will be released next year will feature a Tetraprism 48 megapixel camera (photo: x @theapplehub)

JAKARTA - According to Apple's product analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 17 Pro Max which will be released next year will feature an upgraded Tetraprism 48 megapixel camera for better photo quality and zoom function. This is a significant improvement over the 12MP sensor used in the iPhone 16 Pro model.

Main Details

New Camera Specifications

In a recent investor note published in Medium, Kuo said that the main specification change was the CIS sensor 48MP 1/2.6", up from the 12MP 1/3.1 sensor which is expected to be used on this year's iPhone 16 Pro model.

Telephoto Lens Tetraprism

Both iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models are expected to get Tetraprism telephoto lenses by 2024, not just confined to a larger Pro Max, as is the case in the iPhone 15 series. This means both iPhone 16 Pro models will have at least 5x optical zoom and at least 25x digital zoom.

Pro Max Model Exclusivity

Kuo said he is currently not sure if only the iPhone 17 Pro Max will feature an upgraded Tetraprism camera. But if it is exclusive to the model, then both iPhone 18 Pro models will get it by 2026. The upgraded Tetraprism camera requires a prism that is redesigned with a shorter form factor to reduce the camera's height, added Kuo.

Jeff Pu's claim

This analyst report corroborates claims made last year by Jeff Pu of Haitong International Securities. Pu in December said an upgraded 48MP telephoto lens on the iPhone 17 Pro Max would be optimized for use with the Apple Vision Pro.

The current iPhone 15 Pro model can record spatial videos with 3D depth for playback at Vision Pro when held in landscape orientation, main lens and ultra wide-coupled to record spatial videos with additional depth.

48MP Multi-Camera System

Pu previously said the two iPhone 16 Pro models will feature an ultra wide 48MP lens, which will make the iPhone 17 Pro Max the first iPhone model with a rear camera system fully consisting of a 48-megapixel lens. In comparison, the current iPhone 15 Pro model has a 48MP, ultra wide 12MP, and 12MP main lens.

Future Improvement

Looking further ahead, Kuo said the 2027 iPhone will have a better Tetraprism camera with improved optical zoom. This is likely to be achieved by increasing the number of prisms to extend the light path, which is no longer referred to as a "Tetraprism" lens. As the number of prisms increases, the prism size may need to be reduced, thereby increasing the complexity of prisma designs, the analyst said.

Thus, the iPhone 17 Pro Max not only promises a significant improvement in camera quality and zoom capability, but also shows the direction of camera technology innovation that Apple will be participating in in the next few years.