iPhone 15 Pro Max to get periscope lens with 5-6x optical zoom: report

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to launch later this year along with the rest of the iPhone 15 lineup. The device is rumored to be introduced with the moniker iPhone 15 Ultra. Several reports over the past few months have suggested several design and specification advancements and changes over its predecessors. It should feature particularly slim bezels, with a titanium frame and likely see a price increase. A new report suggests, backed up by earlier reports, that the Pro Max device will feature highly improved optical zoom lenses this time around.

According to a report from MacRumors, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to feature a periscope lens, allowing up to 5-6x optical zoom. In June 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that periscope technology would be included in the telephoto lens, allowing up to 6x zoom while capturing photos with the rear camera without distortion or loss of image quality.

With a periscope lens, the light captured by the image sensor is bent or bent, resulting in a greater distance between the camera modules inside the small shape of the smartphone. This technology allows for higher optical zoom and is already used by some Android companies such as Samsung, Google and Huawei, with phones such as the Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra offering 5x to 10x optical zoom.

Earlier this year, Kuo said in a series of tweets that only one model from the iPhone 16 series will feature a periscope lens. Likely to feature in one of the Pro models, this could be one of Apple’s strategies to boost demand for the relevant high-end model.

Kuo has previously suggested that the next iPhone 15 series will feature USB Type-C ports. But the Type-C ports on these iPhone models will only offer fast charging with cables certified by the company.

Another notable analyst, Jeff Pu, suggested in a research note that the iPhone 15 Pro models may see a price increase this year compared to their predecessors. Pu notes that the expense could be attributed to several supposed hardware upgrades, including a periscope lens, a new titanium frame and an A17 Bionic chip as well as increased RAM.

The iPhone 15 series, at least the two top-tier Pro models, were also expected to feature solid-state buttons with haptic feedback from additional Taptic Motors, but it was recently reported that Apple likely scrapped the plan. The extra work on this particular hardware would mean an extended production period. It was recently reported that Apple was sticking with its two-button volume rocker to meet production deadlines.

---