iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5x Optical Zoom Lens Enables 25x Digital Zoom
The iPhone 15 Pro Max features a new Telephoto lens that uses a tetraprism design to enable 5x optical zoom, an improvement over the 3x zoom that's available in the iPhone 15 Pro and the prior-generation iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models.
5x optical zoom allows for 25x digital zoom, and while that's the most zoom an Apple device has offered, it still falls below the competition.
Samsung's latest Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone has 100x Space Zoom that can capture images from 330 feet away. The Pixel 7 Pro has 30x digital "Super Res Zoom" with its 5x optical zoom lens. Apple has never leaned into digital zoom because the quality is poor. Optical zoom provides a crisp, clear image using the camera hardware, but digital zoom uses software enhancement to crop in.
5x optical zoom is an iPhone 15 Pro Max-specific feature that is not available on the iPhone 15 Pro. Both devices share other camera improvements, though. The 48-megapixel main camera has a larger sensor that lets in more light, and it can be set to 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm focal lengths.
There's also an updated 13mm Ultra Wide camera, and second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization.
Popular Stories
If you have an iPhone 15 and drive a BMW, it might be best to avoid charging the device with the vehicle's wireless charging pad for now. Over the past week, some BMW owners have complained that their iPhone 15's NFC chip no longer works after charging the device with their vehicle's wireless charging pad, according to comments shared on the MacRumors Forums and X, formerly known as Twitter. ...
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
All first-generation Apple Watch models released in 2015 were added to Apple's obsolete products list on September 30, according to an internal memo obtained by MacRumors. As a result, these outdated "Series 0" watches are no longer eligible for repairs or other service at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Provider locations. The list of obsolete models includes the first-generation...
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
Apple may be proceeding with plans to release a new Mac model this month, according to potentially related information obtained by MacRumors. Details pertaining to imminent changes to Mac trade-ins provided to MacRumors by a verified source suggest that Apple will likely begin accepting new models for trade-in this month. Similar changes in June coincided with WWDC, when Apple began accepting...
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
Top Rated Comments
It may look reasonably good on the smartphone display, but on any external screen you can just see how bad it is.