Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max on Tuesday, showcasing a refreshed design and an enhanced camera system.
According to Apple, the new devices are powered by the A19 Pro chip and come with larger batteries. Models that support only eSIM will feature slightly bigger batteries compared to those with physical SIM slots.
This year, the Pro models swap last year’s titanium frame for a new aluminium unibody. Apple also introduced a redesigned vapor chamber thermal system to complement the new build.
Additionally, the front of the phones now features Ceramic Shield 2, while the back retains the previous generation of ceramic protection.
Massive Telephoto Upgrade Brings iPhone 17 Pro Closer to Market Leaders
Apple is upgrading its telephoto camera from a 12-megapixel sensor to a 48-megapixel one, enabling up to 8x optical zoom. This places it among the top performers in the market, rivaling devices like the Vivo X200, which offers 8.7x optical zoom via a periscope setup.
The company is also introducing up to 40x digital zoom—less than the 100x zoom capabilities seen in devices from Google and Samsung. However, it remains unclear whether Apple is using AI-driven image reconstruction for its digital zoom, as those competitors do.
All of these camera enhancements are integrated into a new rectangular camera module that spans the full width of the phone’s back, which Apple has named the “plateau.”
The front-facing camera is also receiving a boost, moving from a 12-megapixel sensor to an 18-megapixel one. Additionally, Apple is introducing the ability to record video using both the front and rear cameras at the same time.
The iPhone 17 Pro will start at $1,099, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be priced from $1,199. Preorders open this Friday, with official availability beginning on September 19. Both models now come with a minimum of 256GB of storage, and a new 2TB option will be available for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Read the original article on: TechCrunch
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