iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air to Lack 5x Optical Zoom

The upcoming iPhone 17 and the new iPhone 17 Air are set to exclude the 5x optical zoom lens, according to a report from The Elec, shared via 9to5Mac. The tetraprism camera system that allows for 5x optical zoom will remain a feature exclusive to the Pro models, so you’ll only get it on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

iPhone 17 Air to Exclude 5x Zoom, Feature Single Rear Camera

Given that the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to be a very thin device this decision should not come as too much of a surprise. It’s hardly a shock, especially because the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to feature an ultra-slim form factor.

For instance, the tetraprism system used in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max utilizes a folded design to fit inside the phones and offers up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom. In comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max offer a maximum of 3x optical zoom.

The standard iPhone 16 offered up to 2x optical zoom, and so the same is expected of the iPhone 17 too. However, details on the zoom capabilities of the iPhone 17 Air remain uncertain, as it is rumored to feature just a single 48-megapixel rear camera. The iPhone 17 Air, rumors have been a bit divided on whether this would be the thinnest iPhone yet. That being said, it does mean fewer features compared to the Pro models that will follow.

The iPhone 17 Air could feature a 6.6-inch display, an A19 chip, and a Dynamic Island but comes with just one rear camera, placing it on par with the likes of the iPhone SE in terms of photography capabilities according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. It could also be one of the first devices to use Apple‘s own 5G modem, but we don’t know whether it would have any real advantages compared to the Qualcomm modems on the Pro models. With more details likely to surface in the coming months, the iPhone 17 Air’s final specifications remain to be seen.

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