iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5x Optical Zoom Lens Rumored to Expand to Both iPhone 16 Pro Models

While a tetraprism lens with up to 5x optical zoom is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the feature will expand to both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max next year, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island
Kuo briefly revealed this information in a Medium post today focused on iPhone 15 Pro Max production challenges related to the camera.

In the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the tetraprism lens system has a "folded" design that allows it to fit inside the smartphone, enabling up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom. By comparison, the smaller iPhone 15 Pro remains limited to up to 3x optical zoom, in line with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

It has been rumored that the iPhone 16 Pro will feature a larger 6.3-inch display, compared to the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro. This change would increase the overall size of the device, which would provide additional internal space for a tetraprism lens.

This is not the first time that Kuo has said the lens would expand to both iPhone 16 Pro models, but it reveals that the change is still planned following the introduction of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which launches this Friday.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
General Apps Messages Redux

Singapore Orders Changes to iMessage by December

Tuesday November 25, 2025 6:39 am PST by
Singapore has ordered Apple to block or filter messages on iMessage that impersonate government agencies, requiring the company to implement new anti-spoofing protections by December as part of efforts to curb rising online scams, the Straits Times reports. Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that it had issued an Implementation Directive to Apple under the Online Criminal Harms...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...

Top Rated Comments

Chiromac81 Avatar
29 months ago
Duh. That's kinda been apples move for the last 10 years...
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
waquzy Avatar
29 months ago
“iPhone 16 Pro will feature a larger 6.3” display….”

Shame ☹️
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nautilus007 Avatar
29 months ago
Just waiting for the iPhone 16 frame to leak...any day now.
Take everything that didn't materialize with the iPhone 15 and just throw the rumors into the 16..
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
29 months ago

when you have tetraprism design its clear not digital
The 5x is fixed focal length, not zoom at all, everything in between 1x and 5x therefor is digital, simple as that
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FasterQuieter Avatar
29 months ago
I wouldn't want it. Not if it means sacrificing the 77MM, which is a much more useful focal length for me. What they have done with the 15 Pro Max camera is completely bizarre to me. Also the main reason I am not upgrading.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spartan1967 Avatar
29 months ago
Looking forward to the iPhone 15 Pro tear downs to see if lack of space is really the issue for not providing 5x optical zoom for both sizes.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)