Apple Likely to Add Second Periscope Lens Supplier for iPhone 15 Pro Max

Apple is likely to bring on board another supply partner for the iPhone 15 Pro Max as it seeks to recruit an additional lens module specialist for the device's new periscope camera.

iPhone 15 Pro Periscope Mock Feature 2
This year's iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to include a periscope camera system, in which light entering the telephoto lens is reflected by an angled mirror towards the camera's image sensor.

The change in direction in which the light travels allows for a longer "folded" telephoto setup inside phones, enabling users to zoom in further without any blurriness or other reduction in quality. The system is expected to add a 5-6x optical zoom to Apple's next premium iPhone model (the current iPhone 14 Pro supports up to 3x optical zoom).

Previous reports suggested Largan Precision would be the sole supplier of the periscope system. Largan's periscope lenses were first to launch in 2019, when they debuted in the Huawei P30 Pro smartphone.

However, industry sources cited by DigiTimes now claim that Genius Electronic Optical (GSEO) has been identified as an additional supplier of the module. GSEO shipped periscope lenses to a Japanese handset vendor in 2021, the outlet's sources said.

Apple industry analyst Kuo believes both iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024 will use the same or similar periscope lens as the one used exclusively in the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max, with Apple continuing its trend of setting apart standard and Pro models by reserving certain higher-end hardware features for the latter.

Related Roundup: iPhone 15 Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

Dater Avatar
17 months ago
What I really don't like is that Largan Precision already can produce 10x zoom periscope lenses for other phone companies with ease, but Apple forces them to build 6x lenses in 2023 so they have still enough head room for "improvements" for the next iPhone iterations. 7x in 2024, 8x for 2025 and so on... To use an old German proverb: "They are milking their cows until only blood comes out of the udder!"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redbeard331 Avatar
17 months ago
5-6x in late 2023 is a fail, should be pushing 12-15x by now.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wesley96 Avatar
17 months ago
I shoot tons of photos with my iPhone, so it would be quite disappointing to see Apple segmenting the camera feature between the largest and the second largest models again. I hated it when this happened back in the iPhone 6s days when the OIS was included only in the Plus version and again when iPhone 12 Pro Max was given a 2.5x optical zoom while Pro stayed at 2x. I bought the 6s Plus but hated the size. When the 12 series came out I just skipped altogether. That periscope camera better be extremely good…
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dalestrauss Avatar
17 months ago

What I really don't like is that Largan Precision already can produce 10x zoom periscope lenses for other phone companies with ease, but Apple forces them to build 6x lenses in 2023 so they have still enough head room for "improvements" for the next iPhone iterations. 7x in 2024, 8x for 2025 and so on... To use an old German proverb: "They are milking their cows until only blood comes out of the udder!"
There is NO REASON not to go with the 10x telephoto in 2023 - Samsung has had it for four model years already. Dater is absolutely right. This is nothing more than an annual/biannual money grab for upgrades, and like the sucker I am [family (especially grandkids) would shun me for leaving the walled garden] I'll end up feeding Apple's cash cow and becoming more fodder...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DocMultimedia Avatar
17 months ago
Upgrade for me isn't looking likely without the periscope in the Pro. If Apple is going to have different features in the two Pro models they need to change the name. iPhone, iPhone Pro, iPhone Ultra. First two available in two sizes, latter just one.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyanite Avatar
17 months ago

I hope that Apple fails grandly with its model policy. Periscope lens would be interesting inside a standard 15 Pro model and I have considered switching to the iPhone 15 Pro as soon as it became available for a price of around 1000€ (like the iPhone 14 Pro currently is). But if there is a subdivision within the Pro range again, I'm out.
However, such a lens design does take up a fair amount of space inside the device, since the light path is on its side.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)