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With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple finally added longer-range zoom to the iPhone. The iPhone 11 Pro had 2X optical zoom. The 12 Pro Max boosted that to 2.5X, and the 13 Pro finally brought 3X optical zoom. The iPhone 15 Pro Max adds a new tetra prism solution for 5X solution. However, only the larger 15 Pro Max got it. The smaller iPhone 15 Pro is stuck with 3X optical zoom.
Interestingly, Apple didn’t mention the term periscope in the marketing. It still uses prisms internally to reflect the light multiple times to achieve a higher magnification. Since it doesn’t exactly use a square periscope, it still looks like a regular circular lens. The camera goes up to 5X magnification, after which it uses digital zoom and AI.
The upgrades worked similarly for the iPhone 12 Pro Max as well. The smaller iPhone 12 Pro did not have Sensor-Shift OIS or the new 2.5X lens. However, the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max share the same camera hardware. Apple will apparently go the same route for the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models.
According to reports from Ming-Chi Kuo and MacRumors, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature the 5X tetra prism setup. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this rumor. Taiwanese sources reported the same thing before, and a press report from Trend Force says the same.
The hardware is not particularly great, especially the sensor size. As a result, images sometimes look noisy and lack details, especially in low-light conditions. Hopefully, Apple upgrades the sensor for the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro lineup.
The report also mentions that the smartphone camera lens will see a rebound in 2024. Apple will be partly responsible since they’ll order a large share of 5X lenses for both the 16 Pro and Max.
The report mentions that despite increased demand, companies will reserve the best camera hardware for flagship phones. Hardware like dual periscopes will remain flagship-only for a while. The iPhone 15 Pro Max dominated sales numbers and significantly outsold the iPhone 15 Pro. As a result, Apple is planning to make it more accessible to more people who want a smaller phone.
The size of the iPhone 16 Pro will apparently move up to 6.3″, mainly to accommodate the larger camera hardware. The overall dimensions will still mean it’s compact to hold. A company called Largan supplies the 5X tetra prism lens for the 15 Pro Max. This is exclusive to the company LGIT, and they’ve expanded the production to meet the needs of the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro models. This is a sudden increase in the number of required units.
Largan is also increasing its profit to over 20% to meet production challenges and to put out more resources for production. Apple agreed to the increase in the price of the lens since it would improve the company’s overall production. Largan’s technology for the 5X lens basically saved Apple’s shipments. The 5X is a major reason for the more expensive Pro Mac model.
There’s another supplier, Genius, and they might join supply a year or two later. For now, Largan will remain the exclusive supplier. There are also rumors that Apple might increase the price of the iPhone 16 Pro to 1099$ since there are price increases throughout the supply chain.
