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There’s an issue with the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro cameras, but Apple has a fix

Black boxes are reportedly appearing on some photos

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Camera on the iPhone Air
Apple

Reports of camera issues with the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro have been acknowledged by Apple, which has confirmed it already has a fix in the works.

What Just Happened?

  • The camera issues were first spotted by CNN Underscored’s Henry Casey who witnessed camera glitches while using the iPhone Air at a concert.
  • The issue appears to be affecting the Air and the iPhone 17 Pro, with black boxes appearing on some photos.
  • Apple confirmed to Casey that it plans to release a fix in an upcoming software update.

Why it Matters

There’s always the chance new technology doesn’t work correctly straight out the box, and on the occasions it doesn’t, we expect companies to swiftly take action to resolve the issue.

  • It’s positive to see Apple acknowledge the issue and confirm a fix is on the way.
  • The new iPhones aren’t available until September 19, which means the software update to address the issue could be available as soon as you take your new iPhone out of the box.
  • Some might be surprised that what appears to be quite a major issue, was missed by Apple’s internal testing ahead of review units arriving with media.

Okay, what’s next?

Apple’s quartet of new iPhones will start arriving with users on September 19, and pre-orders show they are already proving popular.

  • At time of writing, if you pre-order a new iPhone 17 series handset, you’ll be waiting between two and four weeks for your new phone to arrive.
  • The super-slim iPhone Air is still showing availability for launch day, if you’re tempted by the newest entrant into the iPhone line-up.
  • All four new phones arrive with iOS 26, Apple’s latest software, and its biggest upgrade in over a decade.
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Correction 09/18, 09:30am PT: the original article stated ‘white squiggles’ were being shown on some photos. This was incorrect, the error only relates to black boxes appearing on some images. The article above has been updated to reflect this.

Via MacRumors

John McCann
John McCann
Former Managing Editor
John has been a consumer technology & automotive journalist for over a decade.
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