The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple is reportedly planning to bring tetraprism camera technology to its Pro models next year — iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. This advancement is set to provide a minimum of 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom specifically on the Telephoto lens.
A recent report by The Elec suggests that Apple plans to include LG Innotek as an additional supplier for the folded zoom module, a crucial component of the technology. This strategic move aims to ensure sufficient production yields to meet the increased demand for units.
In the current iPhone lineup, the iPhone 15 Pro features a 12MP Telephoto camera with 3x zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts an enhanced Telephoto system enabling 5x zoom.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a folded glass structure below the lens, which Apple refers to as tetraprism technology. This design reflects light four times, extending the focal length to 120mm.
According to MacRumors, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has consistently predicted the adoption of the tetraprism lens, offering up to 5x optical zoom, in both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max next year.
Rumors also suggest that the iPhone 16 Pro may sport a larger 6.3-inch display, compared to the 6.1-inch display on the iPhone 15 Pro. This potential size increase could create more internal space, accommodating the tetraprism lens.
According to MacRumors, Apple will up the size of the Pro-series iPhones next year. The standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus models will retain a 60Hz display, akin to their iPhone 15 counterparts. Meanwhile, the Pro variants are likely to offer a higher refresh rate with a 120Hz screen.
The company is also planning a design change for the standard iPhone 16 models, potentially reverting to the vertical camera layout seen in the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, the report said.
Additionally, the iPhone 15 Pro models, released in September, introduced a new Action Button that serves as a replacement for the iconic mute switch. This button enables users to perform various actions.
Interestingly, Apple limited this feature to the iPhone 15 Pro models, excluding it from the standard iPhone 15 models. While this isn’t really a must-have feature, another report from MacRumors suggested that the entire iPhone 16 lineup could come with the Action Button in 2024.
