Phone Reviews

iPhone 18 Pro Max Review: Who Should Actually Buy It

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: $1,299 price, A20 Pro speed, variable aperture camera. Find out if it’s worth your money or if you should buy an iPhone 17.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 2, 2026

Paul Nwogo

iPhone 18 Pro Max Review: Who Should Actually Buy It

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is the best phone Apple has ever made — but that doesn’t mean you should buy it. This iPhone 18 Pro Max review breaks down who actually gets value from the $1,299 price tag and who should keep their money.

Apple raised prices by $100 across both Pro models. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256GB, and the Pro Max starts at $1,299. UK buyers pay £1,199 and £1,299, while Australia gets AU$2,099 and AU$2,299. Storage goes up to 2TB, but the higher-capacity models jumped even more in some markets. In China, 1TB and 2TB models rose by CNY 2,500 and CNY 3,500 respectively. In Japan, tthe 256GB iPhone 18 Pro costs JPY 219,800 — a 22% increase over the revised 17 Pro price.

So the question is simple: does the hardware justify the hike?

Table of Contents

What the A20 Pro Chip Actually Delivers

The iPhone 18 Pro Max runs the A20 Pro, the first 2nm chip in any smart phone. According to Tom’s Guide, it’s the fastest chip they’ve ever tested, beating every Android flagship.

On Geekbench 6, both Pro models scored around 4,700 single-core — roughly 25% faster than the iPhone 17 Pro and 25% faster than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Multi-core hit 12,800, a 28% jump over last year. The 7-core GPU is up to 40% faster, and the 3DMark Solar Bay test showed the Pro Max at 67.9 fps versus the S26 Ultra’s 49.37 fps.

Sustained performance matters more than peak numbers. The Pro Max scored 79.4% stability on the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test — 25% better than the 17 Pro Max and over 47% better than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The redesigned vapor chamber has 3x the surface area, and the A20 Pro seats memory next to the SoC instead of on top for better heat dissipation.

If you game heavily or edit video on your phone, this is the upgrade that actually shows.

The Camera Is the Real Reason to Buy

The 48MP main camera now has a variable aperture — the first on any iPhone. You get four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. Default is f/1.8, nearly identical to the 17 Pro Max’s fixed f/1.78.

CNET’s iPhone 18 Pro Max review called the cameras “outstanding,” especially in low light and at night. Focus Tracking keeps fast-moving subjects — kids, pets — sharp in photos and videos. Reference Image helps verify pho tos at a time when AI-generated images are everywhere.

The 48MP telephoto offers 4x optical zoom. The 48MP ultrawide handles landscape shots. Up front, an 18MP Center Stage camera handles selfies.

New Pro Controls let you dial in aperture, shutter speed, and Photographic Style with film grain. If you shoot manually, this feels closer to a Fujifilm X100VI than any previous iPhone.

But here’s the catch: Camera Control still can’t adjust aperture or shutter speed. Both Tom’s Guide and CNET flagged this as a miss. A button called Camera Control that doesn’t control the camera’s key settings is frustrating.

Battery, Charging, and the Weight Problem

The Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback, the Pro for 36 hours. In Tom’s Guide’s testing, the Pro Max lasted 18 hours 27 minutes and the Pro hit 16 hours 17 minutes — both beating their 17 Pro equivalents.

CNET’s reviewer charged the Pro Max only three times in five days of heavy testing. Charging is the fastest yet on an iPhone: 60W wired and 35W wireless. In 30 minutes, the Pro Max went from 0% to 77%, and the Pro hit 82%. Fifteen minutes adds roughly 50%.

Apple also shrank the Dynamic Island by moving the Face ID infrared sensor behind the display. You can now see three Live Activities at once.

The downside is weight. The Pro Max is 249 grams, up from 8.22 ounces (233 grams) on the 17 Pro Max. The Pro is 211 grams. CNET warns this causes wrist fatigue faster. AppleInsider notes the phones feel “buiilt like tanks” — reassuring, but heavy.

Known Issues You Should Know About

According to GSMArena, a growing number of users report a crackling, ticking, or popping sound from the earpiece speaker. Some hear it constantly; others only during calls, scrolling, or notifications. Some returned their phones only to get a second unit with the same problem. Apple hasn’t acknowledged it.

This could be software — iOS 27.0.1 already fixed a separate Face ID restart bug — or hardware. If it’s hardware, a recall may follow. Worth watching before you buy.

Who Should Buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max

If you’re coming from an iPhone 14 Pro or older, this is a genuine leap. The camera system, chip speed, and battery life are all meaningfully better. If you shoot video in dark environments or want manual camera control, the Pro Max earns its price.

If you own an iPhone 16 Pro or 17 Pro, sit this year out. CNET’s advice is blunt: download iOS 27, take your loved ones to dinner, and save the money. The 17 Pro already handles iOS 27 and Siri AI. An app like Halide can replicate some manual controls.

If you own an iPhone 15 Pro, check your battery health first. Replacing the battery is cheaper than upgrading right now, especially with the naira’s buying power where it is.

Chinese buyers clearly disagree with the caution. According to GSMArena, the 18 Pro and Pro Max sold about 1.3 million units in their first week in China — 15% more than the 17 Pro series. The Pro Max tok 55.5% of sales.

The Verdict

Top pick: iPhone 18 Pro Max — if you’re a creative professional or heavy gamer upgrading from an iPhone 14 Pro or older. The A20 Pro, variable aperture camera, and 18+ hour battery life justify the $1,299.

Runner-up: iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17. For most Nigerians buying outright, the 17 Pro does 90% of what the 18 Pro does at a lower price. The 17 even starts at $929 — still high, but far more sensible.

Skip it if you’re on a 16 Pro or 17 Pro. This iPhone 18 Pro Max review finds a great phone, but not one everyone needs to own right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the iPhone 18 Pro Max cost?

The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 for 256GB in the US, £1,299 in the UK, and AU$2,299 in Australia. That’s $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Storage goes up to 2TB.

Is the iPhone 18 Pro Max worth upgrading from an iPhone 16 Pro or 17 Pro?

No. CNET recommends owners of the iPhone 16 Pro or 17 Pro sit this year out. The 17 Pro already runs iOS 27 and Siri AI, and apps like Halide can replicate some manual camera controls.

What is the variable aperture camera on the iPhone 18 Pro Max?

It’s the first variable aperture on any iPhone, with four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. It lets in more light for night shots and gives photographers more creative control over depth of field and motion blur.

About the Author

AfriLatest covers tech, money, business, educcation, and automotive news for Nigerian and African readers.

Related Topics:A20 Pro chip APPLE iOS 27 iPhone 18 Pro iPhone 18 Pro Max Siri AI variable aperture camera

Up Next

Best iPhone 18 Pro Cases: Top Picks for Protection

Don't Miss

iPhone 18 Pro Review: 1.3M Sold in China, But Crackling Speakers?

Click to comment

Phone Reviews

Claude Duet Review: What Anthropic’s Agent Actually Changes

Claude Duet is Anthropic’s proactive agent, live in a US-only research preview. What it changes for users, what it costs, and how it stacks up to Muse and Dots.

Published

49 minutes ago

October 23, 2026

Xavier Catherine

Claude Duet Review: What Anthropic's Agent Actually Changes

Claude Duet is Anthropic’s always-on personal agent: a standalone app for iOS, Android and the web that messages you before you message it, works inside your connected apps, and keeps running after you close it.

That is the product in one line. Everything else in the launch material is a claim, and the gap between the two is where a buyer should look. Anthropic announced Claude Duet in late October 2026 as a research preview with a waitlist, restricted to Claude Pro and Max subscribers in the United States. Reporters covering the launch did not even agree on whether the announcement landed on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, which is a small reminder that basic facts are worth checking against Shattered and Business Insider rather than a single post.

The useful question is not whether Anthropic has an agent. It does, and it is the third major US lab to ship a consumer-facing one. The question is what the agent demonstrably changes for a person using it, and what it quietly takes away.

What Claude Duet Actually Does, Per Anthropic’s Own Wording

Anthropic’s product description is unusually specific about behaviour, and specific claims can be tested. The agent surfaces what it judges needs attention, completes tasks a user asks for, continues working on a cloud-based computer while the user is away from the device, and asks before acting.

The approval gate covers four categories: sending a message on the user’s behalf, making a payment, signing a document, and deleting anything. That is a narrow bright line, and it is the most concrete design decision in the whole launch. Lower-stakes work, meaning research, drafting, monitoring and the morning brief across connected apps, runs without a checkpoint.

Anthropic also stated that the preview “can still misjudge what’s urgent.” That admission matters more than any benchmark slide. A triage agent that pings you about the wrong thing has failed at its core job, and no published figure exists for how often that happens.

Memory, skills and connected apps carry over from the existing Claude account, so there is little setup. That continuity is a switching-cost argument dressed as a convenience feature: the more a user has taught Claude, the more expensive it becomes to leave.

Persistence, not conversation, is the actual change. A user who closes the app and returns to find work done has experienced something a chatbot cannot deliver. A user who receives a tidy morning brief has experienced a notification. The two get marketed together. Only the first is new.

What Has Not Been Published

No standalone price. No figure for how much of a plan’s usage allowance a typical session burns, though Anthropic confirms background agent activity counts against existing limits. No task success rates. No confirmation of what happens to access when the preview ends. And no third-party integration count, unlike OpenAI’s Dots, which launched wired into a reported 4,000-plus applications.

Claude Duet Ships Into A Very Narrow Door

Access is the constraint that shapes everything. Pro and Max subscribers in the US, by waitlist, with no Team or Enterprise tier.

That last exclusion is odd given the demo tasks: finding unpaid invoices and drafting reminders, preparing payroll data for a manager’s review, getting contracts ready to send out. Those are small business operations, not personal inbox hobbies. A Lagos consultancy chasing receivables is exactly the user the described features serve, and exactly the user the rollout excludes. No US subscription, no waitlist entry, no agent.

For Nigerian and other non-US users, the practical position today is unchanged. Claude remains a chat and coding assistant billed in dollars on Pro and Max tiers, with no agent layer attached. Anything promising local access to the preview should be treated as unverified until Anthropic says otherwise.

The “no new bill” framing also deserves scrutiny. Access is bundled into existing subscriptions, so there is no new line item, but background agent work draws on the same quota a subscriber would otherwise spend on conversation. Anthropic has not said how much. Heavy users may find the real cost is not money but a plan that runs dry faster.

How Claude Duet Compares With Muse And Dots

Meta shipped Muse on 8 September 2026, pushed it toward smart glasses at Meta Connect, and released Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full in October. Apptopia estimated more than 14 million Muse installations by launch week. OpenAI unveiled Dots at DevDay with a persistent cloud computer and a large integration catalogue.

Anthropic arrives last, with the smallest footprint and the most conservative guardrails. It also arrives with one genuine differentiator: Opus 5.5, the model it built the agent around, which Tech Insider reported hit 65.15% on Terminal-Bench 4.0. Spending a flagship reasoning model on background triage is expensive, and it signals Anthropic treats “what needs you” as a reasoning problem rather than a scheduling filter.

Skepticism is warranted elsewhere. That Duet’s product lead, Karan Ahuja, used Duet to build Duet is an anecdote from the person with the strongest incentive to praise it. Meta’s Alexandr Wang answered with a meme about the resemblance to Muse, which is evidence of a rivalry, not of a product. And Anthropic’s reported path toward an IPO at a valuation of up to $2 trillion says nothing about whether the agent works.

Who Should Use Claude Duet, And Who Shouldn’t

US-based Pro and Max subscribers with judgement-heavy administrative work, meaning invoices, scheduling, drafting and inbox monitoring, should join the waitlist. The downside is limited: no new bill, an approval gate on the four riskiest actions, and a preview label that sets expectations honestly.

Everyone else should plan around tools they can actually install. Teams and businesses on Claude should assume no access until the preview is extended. Users outside the US should not rebuild workflows around a waitlist they cannot join, and Nigerian SMEs weighing agents should compare Dots’ and Muse’s broader integration coverage against Claude Duet’s narrower, more cautious design before paying for any tier.

The verdict is narrow because the product is. Claude Duet changes one thing that can be verified, namely that work continues while the app is closed, and asks to be trusted on a dozen others. Judge it on the first, and ignore the valuation headlines until someone publishes a number that a user can check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Claude Duet available in Nigeria?

No. Anthropic has restricted the research preview to Claude Pro and Max subscribers in the United States, accessed through a waitlist. Team and Enterprise plans are also excluded for now, and Anthropic has said it plans to broaden availability later without giving a date.

How much does Claude Duet cost?

Anthropic has not published a standalone price. Access is bundled into existing Claude Pro and Max subscriptions, but background agent activity counts against the usage limits tied to that plan. Anthropic has not disclosed how much of an allowance a typical session consumes.

What is the difference between Claude Duet and Meta Muse or OpenAI Dots?

All three are persistent agents that work outside a chat window. Muse leans on Meta’s distribution and passed an estimated 14 million installations by launch week. Dots launched with a persistent cloud computer and a reported 4,000-plus connected apps. Claude Duet arrives last and smallest, but with a narrower approval gate on messaging, payments, signatures and deletions, and a flagship Opus 5.5 model behind its triage decisions.

Follow AFRILATEST on Google News

Receive alerts for Claude Duet and more like it.

FIRST TIME REACTIONS:

Be the first to leave us a comment – Claude Duet Review: What Anthropic’s Agent Actually Changes, down the comment section.

JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA:

About Xavier Catherine

Xavier Catherine is the Technology Lead at AfriLatest. With a background in computer science and a focus on innovation, he oversees the platform's technology infrastructure. Xavier also contributes reporting on AI, gadgets, and cybersecurity, ensuring AfriLatest remains secure, reliable, and user-friendly.

View all articles by Xavier Catherine

Phone Reviews

iPhone Duo Pre-Order: 5 Steps to Secure Yours

iPhone Duo pre-order starts today at $1,999. Follow these 5 steps to secure launch-day delivery on October 23. Trade-in deals up to $1,200.

Published

6 days ago

October 17, 2026

James Williams

iPhone Duo Pre-Order: 5 Steps to Secure Yours

The iPhone Duo pre-order window is open right now, and if you want one on launch day, you need to move. Apple’s first foldable iPhone starts at $1,999 for 256GB, and the first units ship October 23. Pre-orders are live on Apple’s website and the Apple Store app in more than 70 countries, including the US, UK, India, China, Japan, Germany, and Brazil. Carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are also taking orders.

This guide walks you through the exact steps to lock in your iPhone Duo pre-order, avoid the queue headache, and squeeze the most value out of trade-ins and carrier deals. You will need an Apple ID, a payment method, and about 15 minutes.

Step 1: Use Get Ready Before You Order

Apple’s Get Ready feature lets you configure your iPhone Duo, pick a color, choose storage, and arrange trade-in details before checkout opens. According to Apple’s newsroom, customers who saved their choices to the shopping bag before 9 p.m. PT on October 15 could check out with a single click once pre-orders went live.

If you missed that deadline, you can still use Get Ready now. The Apple Store app and website let you pre-save shipping, color, storage, and trade-in info. That saves you from fumbling through forms while stock disappears.

Step 2: Decide on Storage and Color

The iPhone Duo comes in two colors: star white and night sky. Storage tiers are 256GB ($1,999), 512GB ($2,199), 1TB ($2,599), and 2TB ($3,199). The 256GB model is the volume seller, so it will likely sell out first. If you shoot a lot of video or plan to use the Duo as a tablet replacement, 512GB is the safer pick.

Step 3: Check Trade-In and Carrier Deals

Apple Trade In gives you an instant credit between $175 and $885 when you trade in an eligible iPhone 13 or newer. That credit lowers your monthly payments through Apple Upgrade, Apple Card Monthly Installments, or a carrier deal.

Carrier offers are aggressive. Verizon bundles the device with an unlimited plan for $72 per month. AT&T offers up to $1,200 off with a trade-in and a new plan. T-Mobile offers up to $1,000 off with a trade-in and a new plan. Read the fine print on all of them, because the maximum discount usually requires a premium unlimited plan.

Step 4: Consider Apple Upgrade Leasing

Apple Upgrade, provided by Klarna, offers 12- and 24-month lease options. A 24-month lease for the iPhone Duo starts at $57.99 per month, excluding taxes and trade-in credit. At the end of the term, you can upgrade to the latest model, buy the device outright, or return it and exit the program. This is the cheapest monthly entry point if you do not want to pay full price upfront.

Step 5: Order Fast and Refresh the Store

Apple is bringing the Apple Store back online in waves. If you do not see the iPhone Duo pre-order option immediately, refresh both the website and the app. MacRumors notes that customers who used Get Ready should be able to check out with a couple of taps. 9to5Mac confirms that the first orders arrive October 23.

If you are stuck in a queue, try switching between the website and the app. Apple’s global content delivery system spins up in data centers at different times, so some buyers see the store before others.

What You Get for the Money

The iPhone Duo has a 5.4-inch outer display that unfolds into a 7.6-inch inner display. It runs on the A20 Pro chip and has a dual-camera system with a 48MP Main and 48MP Ultra Wide. There is a Center Stage front camera and a FaceTime camera under the inner display. It is IP68 water and dust resistant, and at 5.2mm unfolded, it is Apple’s thinnest iPhone ever.

The hinge has more than 100 components and supports multiple angles. The frame is aluminum and titanium with ceramic fiber antenna inserts. It uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, and there is no telephoto lens. iOS 27 adds Split View multitasking, StandBy mode on either display, and Siri AI with onscreen awareness.

Should You Buy AppleCare+

Yes, and this is not optional for most people. Some iPhone Duo repair fees reach $1,499 without a protection plan. AppleCare+ covers drops, spills, and in some regions theft and loss. AppleCare One Individual extends coverage to two more devices at the same monthly price. In the US, AppleCare One Family covers every eligible Apple product in your Family Sharing group.

What to Do If It Sells Out

Rumors suggest iPhone Duo supplies are limited due to production issues. If launch-day delivery slips, you have options. Check carrier inventory, which sometimes moves slower than Apple’s own store. You can also visit an Apple Store in person. Apple retail stores will customize the boot-up of your device with your name, so it says “Hello, Mark” when it turns on. That perk is US only, Duo only, and works in English and Spanish.

If you order online and delivery dates stretch into November, keep your order. Apple often improves shipping estimates as production catches up. Canceling and reordering usually puts you further back in line.

One More Thing to Check

New and qualified returning subscribers who buy an iPhone Duo can get three months of Apple One for free. That bundles Apple TV, Apple Music, up to 2TB of iCloud+ storage, and more. It is a small perk, but it adds up if you were already paying for those services separately.

The iPhone Duo pre-order is live now. The 256GB model at $1,999 is the one most people will want, and it is also the one most likely to disappear first. If you have been waiting for Apple’s first foldable, this is the moment to act. Set a reminder, open the Apple Store app, and finish your iPhone Duo pre-order before the delivery window slides.

Frequently Asked Questions (iPhone Duo pre-order)

When does the iPhone Duo go on sale?

Pre-orders are live now. Shipments and sales begin October 23 in over 70 countries, with 28 more countries starting October 30.

How much does the iPhone Duo cost?

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB. Storage tiers go up to 2TB at $3,199. Carrier deals can bring the monthly price down to $55 per month with trade-in.

Does the iPhone Duo have Face ID?

No. The iPhone Duo uses Touch ID instead of Face ID, and it has a two-lens camera system without a telephoto lens.

Follow AFRILATEST on Google News

Receive alerts for iPhone Duo pre-order and more like it.

FIRST TIME REACTIONS:

Be the first to leave us a comment – iPhone Duo Pre-Order: 5 Steps to Secure Yours, down the comment section.

JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA:

About the Author

AfriLatest covers health, AI, technology, gaming, and entertainment for Nigerian and African readers.

Phone Reviews

Oppo Reno17 Series: Lens Extender Kit Rumored, 64MP Selfie Debunked

Rumor says the Oppo Reno17 series won’t include a 64MP selfie camera but may get a lens extender kit. Here’s what we know so far.

Published

7 days ago

October 16, 2026

Paul Nwogo

Oppo Reno17 Series: Lens Extender Kit Rumored, 64MP Selfie Debunked

The Oppo Reno17 series is already shaping up to be a camera nerd’s dream, but a new rumor says it won’t include a 64MP selfie camera. That’s the latest from leaker Gadgetsdata, who also claims the midrange lineup might finally get a lens extender kit. If true, this would be the first time Oppo brings teleconverter support to the Reno class. But don’t pop the champagne yet—this hasn’t been officially confirmed.

Here’s what we know, what’s still fuzzy, and why this rumor matters for anyone eyeing a new phone in 2026.

What The Oppo Reno17 Series Rumor Actually Says

The leak comes from Gadgetsdata on X, who went deep into the Find X10 series specs but also dropped a line about the Oppo Reno17 series. According to WhatMobile, the leaker says there may be a teleconverter kit option for these midrange handsets. That’s a big deal because lens extenders have been a flagship-only flex in the Reno Find X line.

Teleconverter kits are huge in China right now, especially on premium devices. They let you zoom further with more depth and natural bokeh. Imagine the Reno16 Pro’s 50MP periscope telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom, but with an extender that pushes it even further. That’s the dream.

But the same leak also refutes a separate rumor about a 64MP 1:1 square selfie camera. Gadgetsdata says Oppo tried to put that sensor on the Reno17 family but failed to make it work. So if you heard that one, chalk it up to wishful thinking.

Why A Lens Extender Kit Would Be A Game Changer

The Reno16 series already had a customizable shortcut key called AI Snap Key. It was a handy add-on, but on the Reno17 series, it could become a dedicated shutter button for the lens extender. That means you wouldn’t have to awkwardly reach for the screen while trying to steady a long zoom shot.

This is the kind of feature that makes photography exciting again. It’s not just about megapixels—it’s about giving midrange users tools that used to cost flagship money. If Oppo pulls this off, the Oppo Reno17 series could be the go-to pick for mobile photographers on a budget.

Of course, nothing is free. You’ll either pay for the add-on separately or get it in the box, which would bump up the phone’s price. That’s the trade-off.

What We Know About The Reno17 Series So Far

Honestly? Not much. The leak only mentions the lens extender kit and the debunked selfie camera. There’s no word on chipset, display, battery, or launch date. We don’t even know if the global model will differ from the Chinese version.

But we can look at the Reno15 series for clues. According to GSMArena, the global Reno15 is expected to have a 6.59-inch OLED screen with 1.5K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC, a 50MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide, a 50MP telephoto with 3.5x optical zoom, a 50MP selfie camera, and a 6,500 mAh battery with 80W wired charging. It’s also expected to launch with Android 16 and ColorOS 16.

If the Reno17 series follows a similar pattern, we might see a modest bump in specs. But that’s speculation. The only concrete rumor is the lens extender kit.

The Bigger Picture: Midrange Phones Are Getting Serious

For years, midrange phones were where features went to die. You wanted a great camera? Buy a flagship. You wanted a teleconverter? Definitely flagship. But that’s changing.

Oppo’s move—if it happens—would be part of a broader trend of trickle-down tech. Features like high refresh rate displays, fast charging, and even periscope zoom have all made their way to cheaper phones. Lens extenders could be next.

It’s also worth noting that the rumor mill is churning hard for 2026. We’re already hearing about the iPhone 17 Ultra, RTX 50 Super delays, and more. The Oppo Reno17 series is just one piece of a very busy year for tech.

But let’s be real: rumors are rumors. Gadgetsdata has a decent track record, but they’re not Oppo. Until we get an official announcement, treat everything with a grain of salt.

Should You Wait For The Oppo Reno17 Series?

If you’re in the market for a midrange phone right now, the answer is: maybe. The Reno16 series is still solid, and the Reno15 series is about to go global. But if you’re a photography enthusiast who’s been eyeing a lens extender kit, it might be worth holding out.

Just don’t expect a 64MP selfie camera. That rumor is dead on arrival.

We’ll keep you posted as more details emerge. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the rumor mill—and maybe start saving for that teleconverter.

Verdict

The Oppo Reno17 series isn’t a game yet—it’s a rumor. But it’s a promising one. A lens extender kit on a midrange phone would be a bold move, and it would give Oppo a unique selling point in a crowded market. The debunked 64MP selfie camera is a minor disappointment, but honestly, 50MP is plenty for selfies.

If you need a new phone today, don’t wait. But if you can hold out until late 2026 or early 2027, the Oppo Reno17 series might be worth it. Just remember: nothing is official until Oppo says so.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the Oppo Reno17 series have a 64MP selfie camera?

No, according to leaker Gadgetsdata, Oppo tried but failed to include a 64MP 1:1 square selfie camera. The rumor has been refuted.

What is a lens extender kit?

A lens extender kit is a teleconverter accessory that attaches to a phone’s telephoto lens to increase zoom and improve depth and bokeh. It’s common on flagships but would be new to the Reno series.