iPhone 16 Pro expected to feature Apple’s ‘Tetraprism’ zoom lens from iPhone 15 Pro Max: Ming-Chi Kuo

The iPhone 16 Pro could come with a significant camera upgrade that was only reserved for Apple’s high-end model this year, according to TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. While Apple equipped the iPhone 15 Pro Max with an improved periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom support, the smaller Pro model features a standard zoom lens with 3x optical zoom similar to its predecessor. The analyst previously claimed that the iPhone 15 Pro Max faced production challenges amid “high demand.”

Kuo predicts in a new Medium blog post that the so-called iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max should feature Apple’s new “tetraprism” telephoto lens, unlike the iPhone 15 line, which only offers one model: l iPhone 15 Pro. Max — with the improved telephoto lens that offers up to 5x optical zoom and a focal length of 120mm.

At the company’s “Wonderlust” launch event on September 12, Apple said the 120mm tetraprism lens design will reflect light rays four times inside a glass structure created inside the body of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple was able to create a longer focal length by separating the camera sensor and lens sufficiently and allowing light to travel longer before being captured.

However, it’s worth noting that Apple is also reportedly planning to replace its “Pro Max” model with a new “Ultra” model, suggesting that the improved telephoto lens may be a hardware feature limited to the high-end. model to differentiate between the Pro and Pro Max/Ultra models. This year, Apple increased the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max by $100 (around Rs. 8,300) compared to its predecessor.

Given Apple’s efforts to maintain secrecy surrounding its product development, it may be some time before we learn more about the details of the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera specs or the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple only confirms the specifications of its upcoming products during its launch events and the successors to the iPhone 15 series are not expected to arrive for another year.

Kuo recently said the iPhone 15 Pro Max faces production challenges amid “strong demand” for Apple’s most expensive smartphone. In his latest article on Medium, Kuo states that the “most important supply bottleneck” for the flagship phone is the compact tetraprism camera module (CCM). According to Kuo, the company has raised its specifications to address CCM performance issues. Shipments of the iPhone 15 Pro Max in the United States and other regions have been pushed back until November, thanks to increased demand for Apple’s high-end smartphone.