- IPhone 17 Pro is again getting 8K video recording
- A number of Android -Phones are already offering the feature
- It will probably have niche -Apel compared to other video upgrades
With the iPhone 17 Pro launch, which is now probably about six months away, the rumor mill is in exaggeration. But even though the recent speculation has focused on an unsubsed -Redesign to the flagship phone, the more interesting rumors are predicting camera upgrades – including 8K video recording.
As discovered by BGR, the Chinese delicious fixed focus digital – which has a reasonably strong track record of Apple leaks on Weibo – has predicted that the next Pro iPhones will have the opportunity to shoot 8K video.
It is not exactly a foreign or unrealistic prediction. A number of Android phones, from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to Xiaomi 15 Ultra, can already shoot in 8K/30fps. The ability to shoot in 8K also landed on the Samsung Galaxy S20 far back in 2020.
The rumor is also in line with the latest iPhone 17 Pro camera -rumors that predict a new 48MP sensor to its tele camera. That would mean that all three of its cameras would have the resolution needed to shoot 8K (which typically means 7680 x 4320 frames).
But even if the iPhone 17 Pro got an 8K video upgrade, it would probably be a very niche function. While this resolution may occasionally prove to be useful if you need to crop on a stage during editing, other factors such as bitrate and lens quality (always a restriction on smartphones) will smash the overall image quality-and probably make admission to 4K modes for the more sensible option.
Although iPhone is already impressive video cameras, there are a few new features that I think would be more useful than 8K on the iPhone 17 Pro.
iPhone 17 Pro: 3 Video Functions I Want to Watch
1. Open Gate Video -recording
While iPhones have historically had sensors with 4: 3 image conditions, they have typically used a 16: 9 crop for video recording. So-called ‘Open Gate’ video recording means being able to use the full width and height of the sensor, so you don’t throw any details and it would be nice to see this as an option on the iPhone 17 Pro.
This allows you to choose different image conditions – for example, shooting square video – while using the entire sensor. It would be more processor -intensive, but I’m sure an A19 Pro could handle it. Even relatively affordable cameras such as Fujifilm X-M5 now offer Open Gate recording as an opportunity for creators of social content.
This is already possible on some iPhones with apps like Pearla, but it would be great to see that it will come to the standard camera app or the final cliff camera without subscription.
2. A larger telephotosensor
Most iPhone video shooters stick to the most important 24mm lens because it is the only one with what is good enough for everything beyond cat or family videos. This is mostly due to its relatively large 1/1.29-inch sensor, so I hope the 17 pro will get a much larger folker than its current (and aging) 1/3-inch offer.
Right now, the latest rumors are predicting that the 17 PRO’s telephoto camera gets an increased 48MP solution, but the sensor size is less clear. It doesn’t have to match the main camera, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 50MP telelder has a 1/2.52-inch sensor-so something in that ballpark would make a big difference for both video and still images. It could even make the telephoto a practical kind of B-CAM for cut scenes.
3. A nano text screen option
Okay, this one is not strictly a video feature, but it would be a nice option for video shooters. Apple is now giving you a nano text screen option on everything from iPad Pro M4 to MacBook Pro M4 to help reduce glare and reflection-so why not offer a similar option for its pro iPhones?
Considering the iPhone’s only search is its screen, and video is often recorded outside in the sun’s glare, it would provide benefits for both recording and playback. Granted, you can already get halfway there with a matte screen protector, but Apple could go far beyond that with a new kind of display -tech.
We have seen patents and rumors suggesting that Apple has been working on display -tech with a “surrounding light rejection element” before, so maybe it could be ready in time for the iPhone 17 Pro. If Apple wants to smooth it out as the ultimate phone to video owners, it would be a more useful quality of life upgrade than 8K resolution.
