- It seems there'll be no 5x zoom upgrade for the iPhone 17
- The iPhone 18 is tipped to get a LTPO+ display upgrade
- A major chip improvement could land with the iPhone 18 too
We've just seen a flurry of leaks around the iPhone 17 (due September 2025) and the iPhone 18 (due September 2026) – and if the information in them is accurate, you might want to wait until the latter handset is out for your next iPhone upgrade.
First up, a report in respected South Korea outlet The Elec (via 9to5Mac) says that Apple's camera module suppliers are upgrading their production facilities ready to start pushing out cameras ready for the iPhone 17 Pro.
However, there won't be any periscope lenses for the standard iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Air (or iPhone 17 Slim), according to the report. That apparently means no 5x optical zoom upgrade to match the Pro and Pro Max next year.
Have a read of our iPhone 16 review and you'll see it comes with a dual-lens 48MP main + 12MP ultrawide camera on the back, like the iPhone 16 Plus, with no optical zoom capabilities. There might be camera upgrades next year, but it doesn't seem as though a 5x optical zoom will be among them.
Displays and chips
Exclusive: Apple is reportedly planning to use upgraded LTPO+ panels for the iPhone 18 Pro series, replacing the current LTPO panels.LTPO+ is a display technology that has not yet been introduced to the market. It is expected to enhance speed and power efficiency compared to…November 20, 2024
Our second little tidbit of information comes from established tipster @Jukanlosreve, who says that an LTPO+ display tech upgrade is in the offing for the iPhone 18 series. LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) is the tech that enables dynamic refresh rates and always-on displays that don't destroy battery life.
Although we don't get any information about what the 'plus' variant of LTPO involves, we're assuming it means further performance increases and power efficiency improvements, in order to reduce the demands on the battery even further.
Last but not least, Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital (via @Jukanlosreve) says that there won't be major improvements in the A19 chips manufactured for the iPhone 17, but there will be in the A20 chips for the iPhone 18 – which may be made with the help of Intel.
Apple currently partners with TSMC (the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) for its iPhone processors, so a switch to Intel would be significant – and might make the iPhone 18 a more appealing upgrade than next year's iPhone 17.
