IOS 26.0.1 camera are blurry on iPhone 17 Pro Max and older iPhones.

I have contacted Apple senior support for over 3 days about the camera quality, where i take photos of a book page (none macro, normal 1x) and only where it focuses is good quality and the rest of the texts and the edges of the photo and the content of the book are blurry/smudgy. I have only owned my iPhone 17 Pro Max for 5 days, my IOS 18.5 six years old iPhone 11 Pro Max outperforms today’s iPhone, with much sharper photo and clarity all sides and edges. Not even the senior support could point out if it was a hardware or a software issue. And they booked me in on a official apple reseller and even there they ”couldn’t see a problem” with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, yet it was pretty obvious. Until i tried the cameras on the demo iPhones both in Apple official reseller and a retailer store and they all had the same photos i got. Even the employees with their older iphone (15 pro max and 13 pro max) had the same issue since they had IOS 26 upgrade. So either please fix the issue as soon as possible, or recall the devices and refund them.

Also Apple senior support team tried to tweak some camera settings while i shared screen for them on my iPhone 17PM, and they told me to factory reset my iPhone and still absolutely nothing changed.

I can provide photo evidence of how blurry images are on the edges and smudgy on texts, and i would really like a confirmation if the camera of the new 2025 device supposed to be this bad, so that i can return it as it didn’t fill my expectations at all.

Posted on Oct 6, 2025 8:41 AM

Top-ranking reply

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Posted on Oct 6, 2025 2:18 PM

Hi, this is a very simple issue of a concept called Depth of Field (DoF). DoF can be expressed as a mathematical formula. Rather than post a lot of math, you can see the formula and how it works here,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

The concept though is fairly simple. There is a zone of acceptable sharpness/focus that extends both behind and in front of the exact point you focus upon. The further objects appear from the exact point of focus the blurrier they become.

You’re attempting to photograph a flat page in a book, but it’s not perfectly flat. Do you see the dip in the center of book, along the spine. You’ll achieve better results using a ½” or ⅝” polished plate glass to hold the book flatter. Not perfect, but better than what you’re currently doing.

Why did the DoF change between older cameras and newer cameras? Apple made a design decision to improve the camera and resulting images for the average photographer. One of the improvements was to a larger sensor and different lens design for the 24mm (1X) lens. The changes resulted in different parameters and the DoF changed and became narrower (less objects in focus both in front of and behind point of focus). This is why newer models will not produce images with less DoF when focused close. The newer models do produce better/sharper images with the 24mm lens that the average photographer will take such as portraits, seascapes, sunsets, sports etc.

Your options are to return the iPhone and purchase an older model, purchase a camera better suited for flat reproduction images, modify your current technique and equipment for better results.

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72 replies

Nov 7, 2025 12:56 AM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

I’ve noticed that the iPhone 17’s camera performs very poorly at 4x and 8x zoom. The image is shaky and unstable, and the quality is significantly worse compared to previous models. Please fix this issue in the next iOS update.

guren96

Level 1

50 points

Nov 16, 2025 11:14 PM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

I knew liquid glass, etc. I waited until yesterday to move to 26.0.1, and the improvement was next to nothing.

Opened my camera for the daily cat eyeball picture and it felt like my camera quality dropped hard. I moved the zoom back out, swapped modes, and everything was still coming out grainy or not as sharp as they previously came out.

I just figured out how to get Portrait mode back. You need to hold down the “video/ picture” mode and slide it to the left or right to get all the old mode selections back. Hope this helps!

Use Portrait mode on your iPhone - Apple Support

Dec 4, 2025 9:27 AM in response to freddy2013

I just read what you posted before this update. Funny that when Apple ran diagnostics and i had to reset my iPhone no issue was found or resolved. And if i spoke with apple support online (we dont have apple store in my city, just a reseller), or the 3rd party retail store i bought from (i didn’t buy from Apple because the line to get the iPhone was very much longer), i was denied any replacement.

They wanted to crack open my iphone and i refused for the same reason you did, im not going to crack open a new expensive phone, might aswell give me a new replacement. But the retail store insisted to crack open it to look inside if it’s faulty to then determine to (fix it) first and then give me a replacement if it couldn’t be (fixed).

I boiled up refusing to get my BRAND NEW 1700$ iPhone ”FIXED” **** Noo, took my iphone and left. But i wasn’t going to let that slide, i had the law with me but i waited and digged for more about the camera before i took legal actions.

Worse part is if no issues were to be found when they unseal my iphone, i would get back the same phone but now has been unsealed. As a 1700$ brand new phone lol

At that time, i didn’t know if it’s a software bug or defect phone, until i got some answers here about DOF.. But what you just descriped is what sounds like i got right now, only blurry in the edge, so what problem did you have?

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Oct 8, 2025 4:54 AM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

You’re welcome and I’m happy to assist with your photography any way possible. If you still want to see sample comparisons, let me know.

Oct 27, 2025 3:16 AM in response to Jeff Donald

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Oct 27, 2025 4:40 AM in response to patrick_photography

What lens did you use for this photo? Did you use a mode such as portrait? What is the ISO and shutter speed?

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,580 points

Oct 27, 2025 1:25 PM in response to buglvr

What lens did you use? What ISO and shutter speed did the camera app pick? How far are you from the subject?

Nov 1, 2025 7:30 PM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

I want to update my iPhone 7 Plus

Nov 1, 2025 8:39 PM in response to dankwahmarvin69

dankwahmarvin69 wrote:

I want to update my iPhone 7 Plus

This has absolutely nothing to do with this thread. But simply said if you're on iOS 15.8.5 that is as high as an iPhone 7 Plus can go.

EDZN

Level 1

8 points

Nov 3, 2025 9:44 PM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

I have issues in iPhone 17 . Photos not good after the update I can’t believe this bcz some of poco nd nothing mobile photos are too good compare with this iPhone 17 photo

Dec 4, 2025 12:00 AM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

Too many contributors, anyone mentioned how to solve !

Smart06

Level 1

8 points

Nov 28, 2025 8:35 PM in response to PlsFixMyProblem

I pre-ordered iphone 17 promax with such hype and interest but the camera isn't working to my expectations and I I am disappointed. Screenshots are blurry and I have tried several times to figure it out why but to no avail. I was booked to Bromley Apple Store a forthnight away but nothing has changed. I don't want my new iphone to go under repairs and prefer to return it for refund.

IOS 26.0.1 camera are blurry on iPhone 17 Pro Max and older iPhones.