The iPhone 17 and its more anticipated counterpart, the iPhone 17 Air, will not feature enhanced optical zoom thanks to the tetraprism camera system currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, according to information from The Elec. This technology allows up to 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom. The decision to omit this feature from non-Pro models for the next generation is likely due to the design of the iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to be the company’s thinnest iPhone ever.
Limited zoom on the iPhone 17
While the standard iPhone 17 is expected to retain 2x optical quality zoom, details regarding the iPhone 17 Air’s camera are still unclear, with reports suggesting it will only have a single 48″ rear camera megapixels. This setup could put it on par with the iPhone SE in terms of photographic capabilities, focusing instead on sleek design. But it would be a risky bet, at the moment photography is one of the most important criteria for customers in 2024.
In terms of performance, the iPhone 17 Air will reportedly feature a standard A19 chip, while the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature the more advanced A19 Pro chip. This differentiation indicates that although the iPhone 17 Air will perform well, it will remain in the lower range.
On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Air could introduce a 5G modem designed by Apple, marking an important step in Apple’s evolution towards in-house cellular technology. However, it remains to be seen how this modem will compare in terms of performance and efficiency to the Qualcomm modems expected in the iPhone 17 Pro models. This change in modem technology would bring nothing to consumers, at least not in its first version. Moreover, the first phone to benefit from it will not be the iPhone 17 but the iPhone SE 4 from March 2025.
Last point, but not least, the two standard iPhone 17s will finally be entitled to a 120 Hz screen, enough to appeal to gamers.
As for the iPhone 17 range, it will be launched next September, the iPhone 17 Air replacing the iPhone 16 Plus whose sales are not taking off.
