Updated July 7 with further news about the tetraprism lens predicted for the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
When the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max arrived, there was one major difference between the two models apart from size and price—the camera with the telephoto lens. Two new reports point to the idea that this disparity may be overcome with the arrival of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max camera system. Will the 16 Pro match it?
There’s a claim by reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the tetraprism lens currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max will return the photographic uniformity of earlier models by installing a lens with 5x zoom equivalent on both models.
In a post on Medium, Ming-Chi Kuo refers to Largan, which makes lenses for Apple. Kuo says, “Apple is Largan’s largest customer, and Largan is also Apple’s largest lens supplier. Therefore, the quote likely refers to the fact that the new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have a tetraprism camera in 2H24 (while only the iPhone 15 Pro Max had this camera in 2H23).”
The report goes on to say something very interesting: that we shouldn’t expect any difference in the tetraprism camera this fall from what’s in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It says, “The tetraprism camera specifications for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are identical to those for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the Largan shipment price has not changed.” Kuo suggests that this is an indication of Largan’s advantage—it would have been expected that for a second year of supplying a component, Apple would have negotiated a lower price for an identical item.
Currently, if you want the more powerful telephoto zoom, you need the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 Pro has a 3x zoom equivalent compared to the main lens.
I asked Apple back in September last year, when the latest iPhones were released why this disparity had come about and was told unequivocally that it was down to size: the smaller iPhone 15 Pro didn’t physically have the size for the bigger zoom.
Since the next Pro models are reported to be slightly bigger (the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to match current sizes), there may be enough room for that 5x zoom.
And it looks like Apple will take the opportunity to include it, according to a new supplier report in DigiTimes. “Largan supplied periscope lenses for the premium iPhone 15 Pro Max launched last year. This year, more models in the upcoming iPhone lineup will feature periscope lenses. GSEO is likely to join as a new supplier for this year’s iPhones,” the report claims.
This isn’t the first rumor to this effect, with a previous report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TFI Securities suggesting in October 2023 that the 16 Pro would have the tetraprism—Apple’s name for its periscope lens which is so skilfully designed that, unlike other periscope lenses, it looks near-identical to the other lenses. Only Apple would go to this level of aesthetic detail.
Two swallows don’t make a summer and two rumors don’t equate to fact, but they are certainly going in the right direction.
It would make a lot of sense for Apple to include the 5x zoom if it can: it’s a highly effective feature and many iPhone 15 Pro users would have wanted it, but demurred at the way the Max phone stretches your pocket (physically and financially).
While the difference between the cameras on the Pro and Pro Max in the current generation isn’t the first time larger iPhones have had better cameras, making the two match in this regard is the better way to go, I’d say, and I believe Apple feels that way, too.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
