iPhone 16 Pro to Feature Major Telephoto Lens Revision

The iPhone 16 Pro models that are coming next year will feature a major camera lens overhaul, according to Economic Daily News. Apple plans to use more advanced glass molded lenses, which the site says will lead to a thinner and lighter design, lenses that are shorter, and improved optical zoom magnification.

iPhone 16 Cameras Feature 1
The updated glass is said to be limited to the Telephoto lens because of the difficult production process and limited production capacity. Apple representatives allegedly recently visited molded glass supplier Hoya. Hoya's website says that it is able to produce large numbers of "highly accurate aspherical glass molded lenses." Apple will also source lenses from current supplier Largan Precision.

The new lens technology is expected to be more expensive, so the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models could face "price pressure" next year.

Back in July, Weibo account Digital Chat Station referenced molded glass technology for the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models, suggesting that Apple would introduce a "super" telephoto lens. Super is a label that is typically applied to cameras that have a focal length of over 300mm, which would far exceed the 120mm zoom of the current 5x tetraprism lens in the 15 Pro Max.

Both the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro and Pro Max are expected to offer the more advanced telephoto capabilities currently limited to the Pro Max, but Digital Chat Station suggested that "super" zoom capabilities could be limited to the Pro Max, which would give it even more advanced optical zoom than the 16 Pro.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

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...
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...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....

Top Rated Comments

Mrkevinfinnerty Avatar
27 months ago

The new lens technology is expected to be more expensive, so the iPhone 16 Pro models could face "price pressure" next year.
Getting the excuses in early. Nice. ???
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ajcgn Avatar
27 months ago
I guess when the 16 is out, the telephoto lens can be used to get sneak pics of the upcoming 17.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M1 Max Avatar
27 months ago
Imagine where camera tech would be in 2035. Unlimited zoom? Photos back in time? MRI function?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oink_oink Avatar
27 months ago
This is good news. The camera bump has become big, fat, and ugly.
It has got to go!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73CortinaV8 Avatar
27 months ago
Apple will continue to trickle out features, staying just barely competitive
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheGeneralist Avatar
27 months ago
Continue the camera differentiation between Pro and Pro Max?
That's by far the dumbest idea I've ever heard for the iPhone Pro Series.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)