The 2024 iPhone 16 Pro Max (or Ultra should Apple change the iPhone naming scheme) will continue to be the only iPhone model that will get a higher-end, upgraded periscope camera with new zoom capabilities next year, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
As has been previously rumored several times, Apple this year will limit periscope lens technology to the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max, perhaps because of the space that the hardware requires. Keeping the periscope lens exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro Max as well will see Apple breaking a tradition that often sees new features introduced as exclusives for one iPhone and then later expanded to additional iPhone models when next-generation devices release.
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As previously predicted, the highest-end model of the 2H23 new iPhone 15 model (15 Pro Max or 15 Ultra) will adopt the periscope camera. The market expected that adding periscope cameras to more iPhone models would drive demand for lens upgrades in 2023-2024. — 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) January 31, 2023
Kuo's information contradicts a recent report from The Elec, which said that a "Folded Zoom" periscope lens would be available in both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max next year.
With a periscope lens, light is reflected by an angled mirror toward the image sensor in the camera. The directional shift allows for a "folded" telephoto lens system for improved optical zoom capabilities without the blurriness that comes with digital zoom.
Periscope lens technology is already used by Apple's competitors like Samsung, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max could feature up to 6x optical zoom, an improvement over the current 3x optical zoom in the iPhone 14 Pro models.
For the last few years, the Pro and Pro Max iPhones have offered similar features, and battery life has been the main distinguishing feature between the devices aside from display size. Limiting periscope zoom technology to the Pro Max will likely frustrate those who like to have the latest technology but who do not care for the larger 6.7-inch size.
As Apple is adding more features to the larger 6.7-inch iPhone 15 "Pro Max," there are rumors that it could instead be called the iPhone 15 Ultra, similar to the Apple Watch Ultra.
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