The iPhone 13 was launched not that long ago. So it’s reasonable to hear rumors and leaks concerning the next generation of iPhone 14. The latter will come later this year. But this doesn’t mean that people won’t talk about a model that should come in 2023, the iPhone 15. In a new report, analyst Jeff Pu claims that Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro models will feature a periscope camera lens with 5x optical zoom.
According to the analyst, Apple is in talks with Lantech, which is expected to become a major supplier of periscope lenses used in the iPhone 15 in 2023. Apple has already received samples of the components, and a final decision should be made in May.
If the components are approved, Apple will add a periscope lens to the high-end Pro models of the iPhone 15 lineup in 2023. If nothing changes, they will be called the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Jeff Pu said that if the two companies reach a deal, Lantech has the potential to supply more than 100 million components to Apple, which would have a huge positive impact on the company’s revenue.
This isn’t the first time Apple has been rumored to add a periscope lens to the iPhone 15 series. An earlier report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also mentioned that Apple is working on adding a periscope lens to the “2H23 iPhone” for better optical zoom.
The periscope lens relies on a prism, which reflects light to multiple internal lenses at 90 degrees to the camera sensor. This allows the lens to be much longer than a telephoto lens, resulting in better optical zoom. Samsung and Huawei already offer this technology in their smartphones, enabling 10x optical zoom and 100x integrated zoom.
As said, the design of multi-fold optical variable periscope lenses has been carried on many Android phones. But it also has some shortcomings. The main disadvantage is that the module is still relatively thick. Judging from the thickness of the current iPhone, the degree of protrusion of the lens will be exaggerated. That’s not difficult to guess that the Apple iPhone designers insist on not using such a sensor on the iPhones.
While the announcement of the iPhone 15 Pro is still a long way off, rumor has it that this year’s iPhone 14 series will feature an upgraded camera with a 48-megapixel wide-angle lens capable of shooting an 8K video.
