Apple admits iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air hit by ‘very rare’ camera bug ahead of first sale

Apple’s iPhone 17 series is all set to go on its first sale tomorrow. However, ahead of the sale, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air have been hit by a camera bug that blacks out a portion of an image in certain scenarios.

​The bug was highlighted in a CNN review, and Apple has confirmed that it is indeed an issue on the iPhone Air and 17 Pro Max. A fix will be coming with an upcoming software update.

​“…something that can happen in very rare cases when an LED light display is extremely bright and shining directly into the camera. Apple has identified a fix and will be releasing it in an upcoming software update,” an Apple spokesperson told CNN.

​However, there is no certainty yet on when the new update will be making its way to the new iPhone models.

​Apple’s persisting issues with iOS 26:

​The new bug comes to light as Apple faces a growing barrage of criticism over its new iOS 26 operating system, which will come pre-installed on the iPhone 17 series. Apple users first noticed battery drain and performance issues after installing the iOS 26 update, leading Apple to issue a clarification on the matter.

​“Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance. This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps,” Apple said in a support page.

​”New features are exciting and help you get even more out of your Apple product, though some may require additional resources from the device. Depending on individual usage, some users may notice a small impact on performance and/or battery life. Apple continually works to optimize these features in software updates to ensure great battery life and a smooth user experience,” the company added.

​Meanwhile, iOS 26 users have also complained about legibility issues due to the Liquid Glass design language. There have also been discussions about Liquid Glass making the app icons on iOS 26 appear tilted, which users claim causes distortion and a feeling of motion sickness.