When you look back at the iPhone 17 years from now, this might be the upgrade you actually remember.
Apple has always placed a huge importance on iPhone cameras, and especially for the Pro models, but those upgrades eventually trickled down to the base iPhone models too. But take a step back and look at the upgrade history, and it becomes abundantly clear how Apple has neglected one camera on both base and Pro models — the front camera.
In fact, the last time Apple upgraded the iPhone selfie camera was when the beloved iPhone 11 came out (one of Apple’s strongest releases). But that was six years ago… in 2019! Since then, we’ve basically had the same 12 MP front camera with minor tweaks here and there.
But now the iPhone 17 series is here, and it finally introduces a much-needed change.
Sure, Apple also upgraded the ultrawide camera on the base iPhone to match the Pros with 48 MP resolution, but I’d argue the new 18 MP selfie camera is the more meaningful upgrade. And not just because of the higher resolution.
If you are simply paying attention to the numbers, moving from a 12 MP ultrawide to 48 MP sounds like a huge step forward. But ultrawide cameras are rarely the “main character” in daily use. I used to think I needed an ultra-wide camera more than a telephoto one, but that opinion has flipped.
An ultrawide camera is great for certain scenarios, like when you are in a really tight space, and you want to capture more. Or when you want to capture a wide vista and the main camera is not wide enough. From what I’ve noticed about myself and others, though, you don’t often specifically go for the ultrawide camera.
There’s also the fact that ultrawide photos typically look a bit distorted. I feel like only photography enthusiasts appreciate that look. Another downside is that the iPhone’s 48 MP ultrawide is still not great in low light.
Apple says the 48 MP ultrawide captures more detail and sharper macros, but how many of us actually use Macro Mode?
The selfie camera, on the other hand, is something that many people interact with every single day, making it an integral part of the user experience.
The spec sheet makes it sound simple: the iPhone 17 now has an 18 MP Center Stage selfie camera.
