8K is a nice headline spec, but these would be more useful
The iPhone 17 Pro is again rumored to be getting 8K video recording
A number of Android phones already offer the feature
It’s likely to have niche appeal compared to other video upgrades
With the iPhone 17 Pro launch now likely about six months away, the rumor mill is in overdrive. But while recent speculation has focused on an unsubtle redesign for the flagship phone, the more interesting rumors are predicting camera upgrades – including 8K video recording.
As spotted by BGR, the Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital – who has a reasonably strong track record of Apple leaks on Weibo – has predicted that the next Pro iPhones will get the ability to shoot 8K video.
That isn’t exactly an outlandish or unrealistic prediction. A number of Android phones, from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, can already shoot in 8K/30fps. The ability to shoot in 8K also landed on Samsung Galaxy S20 way back in 2020.
The rumor also aligns with the latest iPhone 17 Pro camera rumors, which predict a new 48MP sensor for its telephoto camera. That would mean all three of its cameras would have the resolution needed to shoot 8K (which typically means 7680 x 4320 frames).
But even if the iPhone 17 Pro did get an 8K video upgrade, it would likely be a very niche feature. While that resolution may occasionally prove useful if you need to crop in on a scene during editing, other factors like bit-rate and lens quality (always a limitation on smartphones) will throttle the overall image quality – and likely make shooting in 4K modes the more sensible option.
