Apple’s Awe Dropping event is on September 9, where the iPhone 17 series is expected to launch, and with just days to go, the excitement is building. In the lead-up, several leaks about the iPhone 17 Pro have surfaced, particularly around its cameras. This raises the question: what upgrades could Apple introduce to deliver a significantly better camera experience?
Having used the iPhone 16 Pro since its launch, I’ve gathered some observations and can point out areas where Apple could make meaningful improvements to create a far more refined camera system, and some of these are software-only tweaks which may not even take dedicated hardware. Read on.
Bring Telephoto Macro Capability
Well, the Pro model iPhone already supports macro photos, but you have to take them with the ultra-wide lens, which means you have to be quite close to your subject. If you are shooting things like insects or animals, they can simply go or run away. So, having a telephoto macro lens, like you find in the likes of the Vivo X200 Pro and now in the Google Pixel 10 series as well, would be very helpful. If Apple does give that, it would make for a much better implementation.
Ability to Shoot ProRes Log Video In 4K Natively, Without Needing An SSD
As good as ProRes 4K video is on the iPhone 16 Pro, to shoot in 4K 30 FPS and above you need an SSD connected to your phone at all times in order to record, and this can be limiting. So, if the iPhone 17 Pro can offer the ability to record log video natively, it would be very helpful. Android phones already let you do that, such as the Vivo X200 Pro and the Xiaomi 15 Ultra.
Photographic Styles Need to Do More
If you are a fan of film photography, you would know how cameras like the Fuji X100 series can shoot in film emulation. When I first saw Apple’s photographic styles like Gold, Vibrant, Quiet, and Ethereal, I was immediately reminded of the same. If Apple can somehow emulate film on its phones, it would be a big selling point and strong marketing material. If Apple can replicate organic grain like you see in film, and the colours, it would make for a very cool experience.
Better Footage Transfer
This part isn’t directly related to the cameras, but to the way you actually transfer the footage, and this has to do with cinematic video. You can shoot cinematic video on the iPhone 16 Pro, and you will likely be able to do the same on the iPhone 17 Pro as well.
But the thing is, once you are done shooting a lot of cinematic video and you want to transfer it onto an SSD or via AirDrop, it can take a while to “prepare” the video before it actually gets transferred. In my experience, if you are transferring a lot of footage, it can take several minutes before it is finally ready. So, I would want Apple to minimise this time and allow a quicker transfer.
