Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China.
Our original article follows below.
Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up from the current maximum 4K capture resolution on the iPhone 16 series, a Chinese leaker has today suggested.
The Weibo-based account Fixed Focus Digital on Wednesday said that the iPhone 17 Pro is "something to look forward to," since 8K video will be "within the user's grasp."
It turns out the leaker could be onto something.
Last September, one report claimed that Apple allegedly tested 8K video recording on the iPhone 16 Pro models. However, the capability was never enabled, likely because of hardware limitations in the current triple-lens camera setup.
The iPhone 16 Pro features 48-megapixel Fusion and Ultra Wide cameras, while the Telephoto camera is 12 megapixels. Since an 8K image is around 33 megapixels, the Fusion and Ultra Wide cameras are theoretically capable of 8K video recording, but the Telephoto camera is not.
The same report suggested that, given the rumored 48-megapixel Telephoto camera coming to the iPhone 17 Pro, 8K video recording might debut on that device instead. Apple's iPhone 17 Pro models are now heavily rumored to feature three 48-megapixel rear cameras, a major improvement over the current 12-megapixel Telephoto lens. That would make all three rear cameras theoretically capable of shooting 8K video for the first time.
Several rival smartphones currently offer 8K video recording capabilities, such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro (via AI upscaling). Even though 8K video recording isn't widely used by content creators right now, there are still use cases for it. For example, shooting 8K would allow videographers to record using the Ultra Wide camera and then crop in 50% and still achieve 4K resolution.
Notably, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in February reported that Apple plans to emphasize the iPhone 17 Pro's improved video recording capabilities when it unveils the device later this year, although he did not reveal any specific new features that may be coming.
This is what he said:
In past years, Apple has focused more heavily on the camera's photo-taking abilities. This year it will stress improvements to video recording. One of the goals for 2025's iPhone line is to get the vlogging community and other video creators to move away from standalone cameras and use the iPhone for even more of their work. Look for Apple to more heavily than ever tout these video recording capabilities when the new iPhones debut in September.
It's quite possible that 8K video recording will be one of the capabilities that Apple will tout when the new lineup launches. Video recording capabilities already added to iPhones over the years include an Action mode for stabilization, Cinematic mode for shallow depth-of-field, and 120 fps 4K Dolby Vision video recording.
Multiple sources have claimed that the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature a redesigned rear camera system. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to adopt a horizontal camera bar reminiscent of Google's Pixel series, and this bar is expected to span the width of the device's back, housing the triangular triple-camera setup on the left, and the flash, microphone, and LiDAR sensor on the right.
It is not clear why Apple would use this design, nor what the extra space would be used for, but it has shown up several times now. All four iPhone 17 models are also expected to feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera.
