iPhone 15 Pro Max Uses New Periscope Lens

iPhone 15 Pro Max Uses New Periscope Lens! – Apple hasn't even announced the iPhone 14 yet, but we've heard rumors about an iPhone model 2023. Right now, the number one feature mentioned by the rumors is the periscope lens for better optical zoom. While analysts first believed that this technology would be exclusive to the 2023 Pro model, Ming-Chi Kuo now claims that only the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max will get the new lens.

Periscope lens on iPhone

For those unfamiliar, periscope lenses rely on prisms that reflect light onto multiple internal lenses at 90 degrees to the camera sensor. This allows the lens length to be longer than the telephoto lens, which results in a much better optical zoom

The telephoto lens on the iPhone 13 Pro model only offers 3x optical zoom and 15x digital zoom. Meanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra already has a periscope lens that allows 10x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. While Apple is rumored to have plans to bring periscope lenses to the iPhone, it seems that the feature will be more limited than expected.

That's because, according to Kuo, the new periscope lens will be available exclusively on the larger and more expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max, while the smaller iPhone 15 Pro will retain the regular telephoto lens for optical zoom. Analysts say that the 1/3″ sensor will have a 12-megapixel resolution with an f/2.8 aperture, sensor-shift stabilization and up to 6x optical zoom.

Those who prefer a smaller phone will have to wait until 2024 to get an iPhone with a periscope lens, as Kuo notes that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have this technology. Unsurprisingly, the mid-range iPhone 15 and 16 models are not expected to have a periscope lens.

Analysts also believe that the periscope lens used on the iPhone 16 Pro model will be the same or nearly the same as that used on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Apple's 'Pro Max' strategy strikes again

If the rumors are true, this isn't the first time Apple has restricted some features to the more expensive iPhone Pro Max.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is the only model with a larger sensor in the wide lens, which is also the only one with sensor-shift stabilization. A telephoto lens with 2.5x optical zoom is also exclusive to the Pro Max model. In the past, the iPhone 6 Plus was the only model to feature optical image stabilization, while the first dual-lens camera on the iPhone was exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus. iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max now have the exact same camera.

Of course, this is not surprising for a number of reasons. As we already know, Apple has been trying to widen the gap between the regular and Pro iPhone models, as this year's Pro model will be the only one to have the new chip.

At the same time, there is also the price of the components. While a regular camera module costs between $1.5 and $2, a periscope lens module can cost up to $15. Since the iPhone Pro Max is the most expensive model in Apple's lineup (currently starting at $1099), it makes sense that Apple would keep this technology exclusive to that model until components get cheaper.

Kuo hopes that more smartphone manufacturers will adopt periscope lenses in the coming years, which will increase the demand and production of these components, thereby making them cheaper in the future.

iPhone 14 Pro rumors

This year, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are rumored to be getting a main camera upgrade in terms of a wide lens. Resolution will go up from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels, which should enable 8K video recording for the first time on an Apple device.

The front-facing camera on this year's Pro models is also expected to get the biggest upgrade in years thanks to a larger sensor and autofocus for better low-light performance.

Apple is likely to announce a new iPhone 14 model in September 2022.