The telephoto camera of the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro will receive a significant focusing enhancement in the near future

If you own an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, your telephoto camera is about to receive a significant speed boost for capturing portraits and moving objects with the upcoming iOS 17.2 update. Apple’s release notes state that the update will bring improved focusing speed for the telephoto camera when capturing small faraway objects on both models. This enhancement is expected to increase focusing speed and accuracy for tapping on distant subjects, improving the overall quality of your photos. It is unclear whether this update addresses a known issue or is simply a refinement of the zoom lenses on the iPhone 15 Pro series. However, it is a welcome improvement for these two highly regarded camera phones and coincides with the introduction of spatial video shooting capabilities. While spatial video is still a niche feature with limited viewing options, it could provide a fun new experience to try out during the holiday season.

Apple has been trailing behind its Android competitors in terms of smartphone telephoto lenses. This telephoto update highlights that there is still room for improvement in the iPhone 15 Pro series, even with the 5x zoom lens on the Pro Max model. Despite the Pro Max’s impressive camera capabilities, including the telephoto shots’ sharpness thanks to sensor-shift stabilization, I believe the iPhone 16 Pro series might be a better time to upgrade. This is especially true if you frequently use a 5x telephoto lens for shooting. The 120mm focal length on the Pro Max is excellent for portraits and minimalist photos that focus on specific details. With Apple gradually rolling out telephoto software improvements, the iPhone 15 Pro series should become a much stronger contender in terms of zoom capabilities by September 2024.