It’s that time of year again, when speculation takes over and Apple fans start scanning the internet for any hints about what’s coming next. While Apple hasn’t officially announced the date or theme for its annual September event, history suggests we can expect it sometime in the second week of September.

Until then, we’re diving into the most talked-about camera rumors and predictions surrounding the iPhone 17, what might change and what could surprise us.

Sources are claiming that the iPhone 17 may receive a major upgrade: an 8x telephoto optical zoom. For comparison, the iPhone 16 featured a 5x optical zoom, so if true, this would mark a significant leap forward in Apple’s zoom capabilities.

The iPhone 17’s camera is rumored to feature a completely new design, unlike any previous iPhone model. Instead of the usual square layout, the lenses are said to be aligned on the left side of the module, while the flash and LiDAR sensor will shift to the far right. Overall, the camera module is expected to take on more of a rectangular shape, marking a bold visual departure from past generations.

Last year, we were intrigued by the addition of a camera control button, which made accessing the camera faster and more intuitive. Now, rumors suggest the iPhone 17 might introduce a second one, this time located on the top of the device. This new placement could make shooting in landscape mode more comfortable, aligning better with your natural hand position for a more ergonomic experience.

Rumors suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro may debut a new “Pro Camera” app, potentially Apple’s answer to third-party apps like FiLMiC Pro. While details are scarce, early speculation points to this app being exclusive to Pro models. Though nothing is confirmed, the comparison to FiLMiC Pro hints at more advanced manual controls and professional-level features built directly into the native iOS experience.

Over the years, Apple has steadily improved its camera system, and the iPhone 16 Pro models already feature two 48MP sensors, the main (wide) and ultra-wide lenses. The telephoto lens itself remains 12MP, but Apple cleverly uses a 2x zoom crop from the 48MP main sensor to deliver full-resolution images at that zoom level. For the iPhone 17, rumors suggest we may finally see a true triple 48MP setup, with the telephoto lens getting upgraded to match the others.

Additionally, the front-facing camera could see a major bump to 24MP, offering sharper selfies and improved video quality.

As much as Apple fans love to anticipate and compare rumors, we won’t truly know what’s fact or fiction until the official Apple event, where some rumors are confirmed and others are debunked. But even if certain features don’t appear this year, there’s always next year’s update to look forward to.