iPhone 17 Why can't base 17 model have telephoto camera?

[TurboJobo]

I have never own an pro phone because I like small and light phones. Only reason I went from my 13 mini to the 15 was because of USB C. Now with the 17 Pro this thing feel very heavy. I know it's first world problems but I really like the design and weight of the regular 17 but the camera and battery on the pro is awesome. I wonder if people use more the ultra wide camera more than the telephoto? A regular iphone 17 with the telephoto would have been for me the best thing ever.

 

[Ctrlos]

I have never own an pro phone because I like small and light phones. Only reason I went from my 13 mini to the 15 was because of USB C. Now with the 17 Pro this thing feel very heavy. I know it's first world problems but I really like the design and weight of the regular 17 but the camera and battery on the pro is awesome. I wonder if people use more the ultra wide camera more than the telephoto? A regular iphone 17 with the telephoto would have been for me the best thing ever.

Simple economics. Apple just want us to spend more money!

This year the 8x lens is really the only differentiator for most people. I am of two minds whether to get the 17 or the Pro. For the price difference I could buy a camera with a 200mm lens which on every level will take much better photos.

 

[chrfr]

Simple economics. Apple just want us to spend more money!

This year the 8x lens is really the only differentiator for most people. I am of two minds whether to get the 17 or the Pro. For the price difference I could buy a camera with a 200mm lens which on every level will take much better photos.

There’s no 8x lens, it’s a 4x lens that gets digitally cropped to show an 8x perspective.

 

[Moreplease]

I wonder if people use more the ultra wide camera more than the telephoto?

The tele, of course. Though the ultrawide is pressed into service as a macro lens, which is more useful than its nominal ultrawide purpose.

A regular iphone 17 with the telephoto would have been for me the best thing ever.

Well, sure. And for most people. That’s the problem, from Apple’s perspective.

But we already see that the regular 17 is on fire despite not having a tele lens. Unfortunately this is more proof for Apple that they did the right thing to keep the tele a Pro exclusive, tying it in with minutiae like vapour chambers, USB 3, and more GPUs to justify the huge price premium for the Pro.

In short, it’s all about keeping Apple’s famous margins.

 

[tomtad]

Put titanium sides on the regular 17, a telephoto lens, charge $1000, and call it the iPhone Air.

It would sell even more like hotcakes and increase the average sale price of an iPhone.

 

[JPack]

You can always zoom in digitally, but you can’t always step back to take the photo. This is why UW is more practical than telephoto.

 

[BigBlur]

I often find myself using the ultra wide camera when I'm on vacation. It's much easier to use that camera to get everything in the shot rather than having to use the panoramic mode and ending up with a bunch of different-sized photos. If I need to zoom in, 2x is usually good enough for me; or I can take a few steps forward to get closer to the subject.

Also, keep in mind to get the best photos, you should stick with the default zoom levels (.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x). Anything else will be a digital zoom/crop that involves pixel interpolation. A 4x zoom may be too much for some people; and a 3x zoom, for example, is essentially the same between the 17 and 17 Pro (a 3x digital zoom from the 1x camera).

 

[svish]

Will be great if the base model gets some kind of zoom. At least there should be a 2.5x to 3x optical telephoto lens. Don't think it will change. Telephoto lens will be kept as an exclusive for the Pro at least in the near future.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

It is incredible that Apple still only have a dual camera system on their main/standard iPhone and its something I have often mentioned. It does feel very dated in 2025 when you see other devices at similar price points across the market.

What is even more incredible is Apple released a single camera iPhone and charged £200 more for it than the standard 17 and people have celebrated it lol. I suppose if consumers demand less, why give them more?

 

[svish]

It is incredible that Apple still only have a dual camera system on their main/standard iPhone and its something I have often mentioned. It does feel very dated in 2025 when you see other devices at similar price points across the market.

What is even more incredible is Apple released a single camera iPhone and charged £200 more for it than the standard 17 and people have celebrated it lol. I suppose if consumers demand less, why give them more?

Air not having a zoom lens is not good. Think the upcoming foldable too will end up not having a telephoto lens. Will be extremely disappointing especially when the Z Fold and competition have some kind of zoom lens.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Air not having a zoom lens is not good. Think the upcoming foldable too will end up not having a telephoto lens. Will be extremely disappointing especially when the Z Fold and competition have some kind of zoom lens.

I'm not interested in a foldable in the slightest, but I have no doubt it will lack camera capabilities due to the need to make it as thin as possible, whilst commanding a high price.

 

[indefinite]

There’s no 8x lens, it’s a 4x lens that gets digitally cropped to show an 8x perspective.

Partially true. The 8x is an optical-quality zoom that uses the 48 MP, 100 mm lens, but it is processed more smartly to produce the crisp 12 MP image. It's a larger sensor and a huge improvement from the 12 MP, 120 mm lens from the iPhone 16 Pro, so ultimately you end up with less noise and a great photo, which is why the 8x optical zoom is a huge deal.