If you own an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max your telephoto camera is about to get a useful speed boost for shooting portraits and moving objects, thanks to iOS 17.2.
According to Apple's release notes for the software update, which is expected to roll out widely in mid-December, the update will bring "improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.”
This means that both the 15 Pro's 3x telephoto camera (which offers the equivalent of a 77mm focal length) and the 15 Pro Max's new 5x tetraprism lens should see a boost in both focusing speed and accuracy when you tap on distant subjects, theoretically increasing your number of keepers.
It isn't clear if this telephoto update is a fix for a known issue or simply a refinement of the iPhone 15 Pro series' zoom lenses. We didn't come across any focusing issues in our iPhone 15 Pro Max review and, looking at Apple's support forums, it seems a minority of owners had problems with close-focusing rather than faraway objects.
But it's a welcome boost for what are two of the best camera phones and it also arrives alongside the ability to shoot spatial video. While the latter is currently very niche – the main place to watch those spatial videos will be on an Apple Vision Pro, which isn't out until early 2024 – it could be a fun new toy to try out during the Christmas holidays.
Telephoto tinkering
It's no secret that Apple is lagging behind its Android rivals when it comes to smartphone telephoto lenses – and this new update shows that there are still refinements to be made to the iPhone 15 Pro series, despite the Max model's jump to 5x zoom.
As TechRadar's former cameras editor, I wrote about why I'd decided to skip the iPhone 15 Pro Max after it had launched – and one of the main reasons was a suspicion that Apple would need time to refine and polish the new tetraprism lens on its flagship.
While the Pro Max is undoubtedly an excellent camera phone with some impressive sensor-shift stabilization that helps keep its telephoto shots sharp, I think the iPhone 16 Pro series could be a fine time to upgrade – particularly if you're keen to shoot frequently with a 5x telephoto lens.
That 120mm focal length on the Pro Max is great for both portraits and isolating details for more minimalist photos – and with Apple starting to roll out telephoto software improvements on the iPhone 15 Pro series, it should be a much stronger zoom player by September 2024.
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