Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max leak teases major camera upgrades to rival Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

A new leak from The Information suggests the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max will receive a major camera upgrade, aiming to match or surpass the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's capabilities. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumored to feature an all-48MP camera setup, including its main, ultra-wide, and telephoto lenses, marking the end of Apple's gradual transition to high-resolution sensors.

This upgrade includes a new 48MP telephoto "Tetraprism" lens with 5x optical zoom and hybrid glass-plastic lenses for enhanced clarity. A 24MP front-facing camera is also expected, doubling the resolution of its predecessor. Additionally, the camera layout might shift to a horizontal design, akin to Google Pixel devices.

Meanwhile, leaks for the Galaxy S25 Ultra hint at refinements rather than radical changes. Allegedly, Samsung plans to retain its 200MP main sensor but improve computational photography and stabilization. The periscope zoom camera might gain better light-gathering capabilities and advanced video modes.

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Will the iPhone 17 Pro Max finally leave Samsung behind in zoom?

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, though criticized by many, actually featured a good camera system. Apple has been the undoubted leader in video recording. It is the photo-capturing department that's neck-and-neck between the two brands. The iPhones generally click better social media-worthy photos, lacking only in zoom capability.

The Samsung S24 Ultra features two telephoto lenses, one 3X and one 5X. Meanwhile, Apple featured only one 5X lens. So, when zooming from 1X to 3X and then 5X, Samsung is utilizing dedicated camera modules whereas Apple's 1X to 5X is completely done on software. Hence, the camera quality in this range is much better from Samsung than Apple.

Further, the S24 Ultra features a 50 MP periscope telephoto, which captures more details when zoomed compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max's 12 MP periscope telephoto.

If the leaks are true, with this new upgrade, the iPhone 17 Pro Max might rival in overall zoom, depending on the optimization each company introduces with the processing.