Apple’s WWDC was a letdown for me, with no new {hardware} introduced and few new options past a glassy interface for iOS 26. I am pinning my hopes that the iPhone 17 will get my pulse racing, and one of the simplest ways it might probably do that’s with the digital camera. The iPhone 16 Professional already packs among the finest digital camera setups discovered on any cellphone, it is able to taking beautiful photographs in any circumstances. Throw in its ProRes video, Log recording and the neat 4K sluggish movement mode and it is a potent video shooter too. It even put up a powerful combat towards the opposite greatest digital camera telephones round, together with the Galaxy S25 Extremely, the Pixel 9 Professional and the Xiaomi 14 Extremely.
Learn extra: Digicam Champions Face Off: iPhone 16 Professional vs. Galaxy S25 Extremely
Regardless of that, it is nonetheless not the right digital camera. Whereas early stories from trade insiders declare that the cellphone’s video expertise will get a lift, there’s extra the iPhone 17 might want to make it an all-round pictures powerhouse. As each an skilled cellphone reviewer and knowledgeable photographer, I’ve exceptionally excessive expectations for top-end cellphone cameras. And, having used the iPhone 16 Professional since its launch, I’ve some ideas on what wants to alter.
Listed below are the details I wish to see improved on the iPhone 17 when it probably launches in September 2025.
An accessible Professional digital camera mode
At WWDC, Apple confirmed off the modifications to the upcoming iOS 26 which included a radical change to the interface with Liquid Glass. However that simplified fashion prolonged to the digital camera app too, with Apple paring the interface all the way down to probably the most fundamental capabilities of Photograph, Video and zoom ranges. Presumably, the concept is to make it tremendous simple for even probably the most newbie of photographers to open the digital camera and begin taking Instagram-worthy snaps.
The brand new digital camera app is extremely barebones
And that is superb, however what about these of us who purchase the Professional fashions with a purpose to take deeper benefit of options like publicity compensation, Photographic Types and ProRaw codecs? It isn’t completely clear but how these options might be accessed throughout the new digital camera interface, however they should not be tucked away. Many photographers — myself very a lot included — wish to use these instruments as normal, utilizing our highly effective iPhones in a lot the identical method we’d a mirrorless digital camera from Canon or Sony.
Which means counting on superior settings to take management over the image-taking course of to craft photographs that transcend easy snaps. If something, Apple’s digital camera app has all the time been too easy, with even fundamental capabilities like white stability being unavailable. To see Apple take issues to an much more simplistic degree is disappointing, and I wish to see how the corporate will proceed to make these telephones usable for enthusiastic photographers.
Bigger picture sensor
Although the 1/1.28-inch sensor discovered on the iPhone 16 Professional’s major digital camera is already an excellent dimension — and marginally bigger than the S24 Extremely’s 1/1.33-inch sensor — I wish to see Apple go larger. A bigger picture sensor can seize extra mild and supply higher dynamic vary. It is why professional cameras are likely to have not less than “full body” picture sensors, whereas actually high-end cameras, just like the superb Hasselblad 907X, have monumental “medium format” sensors for pristine picture high quality.
Even on professional cameras, sensor dimension is essential. Even the full-frame picture sensor within the center is dwarfed by the medium format sensor on the proper. Cellphone digital camera sensors do not come anyplace close to to this dimension.
Xiaomi understands this, equipping its 15 Extremely and former 14 Extremely with 1-inch sort sensors. It is bigger than the sensors discovered on nearly every other cellphone, which allowed the 15 Extremely to take beautiful photographs throughout Europe, whereas the 14 Professional was heroic in capturing a Taylor Swift live shows. I am eager to see Apple not less than match Xiaomi’s cellphone right here with an identical 1-inch sort sensor. Although if we’re speaking pie-in-the-sky needs, perhaps the iPhone 17 might be the primary smartphone with a full-frame picture sensor. I will not maintain my breath on that one — the cellphone, and the lenses, would have to be immense to accommodate it, so it’d probably be extra environment friendly simply to allow you to make calls together with your mirrorless digital camera.
Variable aperture
Talking of the Xiaomi 14 Extremely, one of many different causes that cellphone rocks so laborious for pictures is its variable aperture on the principle digital camera. Its widest aperture is f/1.6 — considerably wider than the f/1.78 of the iPhone 16 Professional.That wider aperture permits loads of mild in dim circumstances and extra authentically achieves out-of-focus bokeh round a topic.
The streetlight exterior this pub has been become a gorgeous starburst because of the variable aperture of the Xiaomi 14 Extremely.
However Xiaomi’s 14 Extremely aperture can even shut all the way down to f/4, and with that narrower aperture, it is capable of create starbursts round factors of sunshine. I like reaching this impact in nighttime imagery with the cellphone. It makes the ensuing photographs look way more like they have been taken with knowledgeable digital camera and lens, whereas the identical factors of sunshine on the iPhone simply seem like roundish blobs. Disappointingly, Xiaomi really eliminated this characteristic from the brand new 15 Extremely so whether or not Apple sees worth in implementing this sort of know-how stays to be seen.
Extra Photographic Types
Although Apple has had varied types and results built-in into the iPhone’s cameras, the iPhone 16 vary took it additional, with extra management over the consequences and extra firming choices. It is sufficient that CNET Senior Editor Lisa Eadicicco even declared the brand new Photographic Types her “favourite new characteristic on Apple’s newest cellphone.”
I believe they’re nice too. Or moderately, they’re an important begin. The completely different shade tones, like those you get with the Amber and Gold types, add some pretty heat to scenes, and the Quiet impact provides a classic filmic fade, however there’s nonetheless not an entire lot to select from and the interface is usually a little sluggish to work by means of. I would like to see Apple introduce extra Photographic Types with completely different shade firming choices, and even with tones that mimic classic movie shares from Kodak or Fujifilm.
I like the hotter tones produced by the iPhone’s Amber fashion on this picture, however I would positively prefer to see extra choices for getting artistic with shade tones.
And certain, there are many third-party apps like VSCO or Snapseed that allow you to mess around with shade filters all you need. However utilizing Apple’s types means you’ll be able to take your photographs with the look already utilized, after which change it afterward if you happen to do not prefer it — nothing is hard-baked into your picture.
I used to be not too long ago impressed with Samsung’s new instrument for creating customized shade filters based mostly off the look of different photographs. I would like to see Apple carry that degree of picture customization to the iPhone.
Higher ProRaw integration with Photographic Types
I do assume Apple has barely missed a chance with its Photographic Types, although, in that you should utilize them solely when taking photographs in HEIF (high-efficiency picture format). Sadly, you’ll be able to’t use them when taking pictures in ProRaw. I like Apple’s use of ProRaw on earlier iPhones, because it takes benefit of the entire iPhone’s computational pictures — together with issues like HDR picture mixing — however nonetheless outputs a DNG uncooked file for simpler modifying.
The DNG file usually additionally provides extra latitude to brighten darkish areas or tone down highlights in a picture, making it extraordinarily versatile. Beforehand, Apple’s shade presets might be used when taking pictures in ProRaw, and I liked it. I continuously shot street-style photographs utilizing the excessive distinction black-and-white mode after which edited the uncooked file additional.
I do loads of avenue pictures in black and white, and I would love extra flexibility to take ProRaw photographs in monochrome.
Now utilizing that very same black-and-white look means solely taking pictures photographs in HEIF format, eliminating the advantages of utilizing Apple’s ProRaw. Oddly, whereas the older-style “Filters” are not out there within the digital camera app when taking a uncooked picture, you’ll be able to nonetheless apply these filters to uncooked photographs within the iPhone’s gallery app by means of the modifying menu.
LUTs for ProRes video
And whereas we’re on the subject of shade presets and filters, Apple must carry these to video, too. On the iPhone 15 Professional, Apple launched the power to shoot video in ProRes, which ends up in very low-contrast, nearly gray-looking footage. The thought is that video editors will take this uncooked footage after which apply their edits on high, typically making use of distinction and shade presets often called LUTs (look-up tables) that provides footage a specific look — assume darkish and blue for horror movies or heat and lightweight tones for a romantic drama vibe.
However Apple does not supply any type of LUT for modifying ProRes video on the iPhone, past merely ramping up the distinction, which does not actually do the job correctly. Certain, the purpose of ProRes is that you’d take that footage off the iPhone, put it into software program like Davinci Resolve, after which correctly shade grade the footage so it appears to be like glossy {and professional}.
ProRes footage appears to be like very low distinction and desaturated. Apple must introduce methods that can assist you do extra with ProRes information on the iPhone.
However that also leaves the information in your cellphone, and I would love to have the ability to do extra with them. My gallery is plagued by ungraded video information that I will do little or no with as a result of they want shade grading externally. I would like to share them to Instagram, or with my household over WhatsApp, after reworking these information from drab and grey to fantastically colourful.
With the iPhone 17, and even with the iPhone 16 as a software program replace, I wish to see Apple creating a variety of its personal LUTs that may be straight utilized to ProRes video information on the iPhone. Whereas we did not see this software program performance mentioned as a part of the corporate’s June WWDC keynote, that does not imply it could not be launched with the iPhone in September.
If Apple have been capable of implement all these modifications — excluding, maybe, the full-frame sensor which even I can admit is a contact formidable — it will have an absolute beast of a digital camera on its palms.
