- The iPhone 17 Pro is again rumored to be getting 8K video recording
- A number of Android phones already offer the feature
- It’s likely to have niche appeal compared to other video upgrades
With the iPhone 17 Pro launch now likely about six months away, the rumor mill is in overdrive. But while recent speculation has focused on an unsubtle redesign for the flagship phone, the more interesting rumors are predicting camera upgrades – including 8K video recording.
As spotted by BGR, the Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital – who has a reasonably strong track record of Apple leaks on Weibo – has predicted that the next Pro iPhones will get the ability to shoot 8K video.
That isn’t exactly an outlandish or unrealistic prediction. A number of Android phones, from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, can already shoot in 8K/30fps. The ability to shoot in 8K also landed on Samsung Galaxy S20 way back in 2020.
The rumor also aligns with the latest iPhone 17 Pro camera rumors, which predict a new 48MP sensor for its telephoto camera. That would mean 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 did get an 8K video upgrade, it would likely be a very niche feature. While that resolution may occasionally prove useful if you need to crop in on a scene during editing, other factors like bit-rate and lens quality (always a limitation on smartphones) will throttle the overall image quality – and likely make shooting in 4K modes the more sensible option.
Still, while iPhone are 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 features I want to see
1. Open gate video recording
While iPhones have historically had sensors with 4:3 aspect ratios, they’ve 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’re not throwing away any detail –and it’d be great to see this as an option on the iPhone 17 Pro.
This would let you choose different aspect ratios – for example, shooting square video – while using the whole sensor. It would be more processor-intensive, but I’m sure an A19 Pro could handle it. Even relatively affordable cameras like the Fujifilm X-M5 are now offering open gate recording as an option for social content creators.
This is already possible on some iPhones with apps like Pearla, but it’d be nice to see it come to the default camera app or Final Cut Camera without a subscription.
2. A larger telephoto sensor
Most iPhone video shooters stick to the main 24mm lens, because it’s the only one with that’s good enough for anything beyond cat or family videos. That’s mostly due to its relatively large 1/1.29-inch sensor, so I hope the 17 Pro gets a much bigger telephoto sensor than its current (and aging) 1/3-inch offering.
Right now, the latest rumors are predicting that the 17 Pro’s telephoto camera will get a boosted 48MP resolution, but the sensor size is less clear. It wouldn’t need to match the main camera, but the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 50MP telephoto has a 1/2.52-inch sensor – so something in that ballpark would make a big difference for both video and stills. It could even make the telephoto a handy kind of b-cam for cut scenes.
3. A nano-texture screen option
Okay, this one’s not strictly a video feature, but it would be a nice option for video shooters. Apple now gives you a nano-texture screen option on everything from the iPad Pro M4 to the MacBook Pro M4 to help reduce glare and reflections – so why not offer a similar option for its Pro iPhones?
Given the iPhone’s only viewfinder is its screen, and video is often shot outside in the glare of the sun, it would offer 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’ve seen patents and rumors suggesting Apple’s been working on display tech with an “ambient light rejection element” before, so perhaps it could be ready in time for the iPhone 17 Pro. If Apple wants to tout it as the ultimate phone for video creators, that would be a more useful quality-of-life upgrade than 8K resolution.