iPhone 17 Slim unlikely to have a telephoto lens

The rumored iPhone 17 Slim won't have a telephoto camera on the back, with a report insisting it will still be a Pro-level feature in 2025.

The iPhone 17 Slim is thought to include quite a few impressive features, but it won't be a Pro-grade device. That means it won't be getting a telephoto camera at all.

In a report from TheElec about LG Innotek investing 375.9 billion won ($267.4 million) into new camera module facilities, it discusses the target market for the modules. It reveals that the modules will be destined for the iPhone 17 generation, Apple's 2025 smartphone line.

The discussion explains that the cameras in the iPhone 17 will have better specifications. However, the folded zoom of the telephoto lens will only be available in the two Pro models, as usual.

If this is true, that means the iPhone 17 generation will get a combo of two lenses for the non-Pro versions, consisting of an ultra-wide lens and a standard wide version. As the rumored iPhone 17 Slim, Fold, or Air is believed to be a non-Pro model, it therefore won't get the telephoto camera.

This is somewhat to be expected, given the production challenges behind the Fold. With a thickness of just 6mm, it will be a challenge for Apple to include multiple bulky camera modules in the design.

Indeed, it is currently speculated that Apple could include just one camera in the model, because of the space limitations.

While one camera could be included, users may not necessarily lose out on having two physical lenses. Since it already uses a crop from a high-resolution wide-angle lens to create a 2x zoom, it could reuse the trick with the one camera in the Fold to fake having two cameras.

The iPhone 17 Slim is also expected to have an A19 chip, a 6.6-inch display, and a 24-megapixel front camera.