The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the first iPhone to feature a periscope lens. To increase the focal length of a smartphone camera without the lens protruding from the body, a tube runs the full length of the phone’s interior with a prism placed at a 90-degree angle to the end of the tube. Light enters through the lens and bounces off the prism to the image sensor, extending the focal length of the lens far beyond what it might otherwise be.
Apple’s implementation of the periscope camera uses four prisms to extend the lens’ focal length to 120mm
Apple’s implementation of the periscope lens is called the Tetraprism zoom
camera because it uses four prisms to extend the focal length to 120mm, providing 5x optical zoom. Jon McCormack, Apple’s vice president of camera software engineering, explained why Apple decided to limit the optical zoom capabilities of the Tetraprism Zoom to 5x when he said: “5x zoom is something we can stabilize incredibly well. If you look at the 10x zoom, unless you have the steadiest hands in the world or a tripod, it’s really hard to use.” This is the same reason why
Samsung would replace its 10x optical zoom lens on the Galaxy S24 Ultra with 5x optical zoom.
The Tetraprism design uses four prisms to bounce light through tubes to reach the image sensor.
There have been rumors that Apple will add the Tetraprism lens to the iPhone 16 Pro next year so that both
iPhone16 Pro
series models will have it. TF International’s Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has an incredible reputation and Kuo says improving manufacturing yields for the company that supplies Apple with the Tetraprism lens set, Largan, is the reason for which Apple adds this functionality to
iPhone16 Pro in 2024.
Largan’s increased output on producing Tetraprism zoom cameras allows it to provide the iPhone 16 Pro with this functionality.
Originally, Kuo cited the expected increase in the size of the
iPhone16 The 6.1-inch to 6.3-inch Pro display is why Apple might include the periscope lens in the
iPhone16 Professional model. This was in March, long before Apple released the phone with its first periscope lens, the
iPhone 15 Pro Max. Last month, Kuo once again reiterated his forecast calling for both
iPhone16 Pro models will be equipped with a Tetraprism zoom camera in 2024.
But today Kuo added another reason why, besides the biggest iPhone16 Pro screen size, Apple may include a periscope lens with the iPhone16 Pro. This is Largan’s ability to increase its production yield on Tetraprism zoom cameras from 40% during the third quarter of this year to 70% during the fourth quarter of 2023. Kuo notes that with production yield by 40%, Largan’s gross margins were negative, and manufacturing the product for Apple lowered the company’s earnings per share.
But now that Largan has increased its yield to 70%, Kuo says manufacturing the Tetraprism zoom camera is now profitable for Largan and will add to its fourth-quarter earnings per share. And since Largan can now produce more Tetraprism zoom cameras, it can make enough to supply the iPhone16 Pro with the iPhone16 ProMax. By adding a periscope camera to the iPhone16 Pro, Kuo expects Apple to ship 160% more premium iPhone16 Pro series units next year compared to iPhone 15 Pro numbers and iPhone 15 Pro Max units delivered this year.
Apple and Huawei are the fastest growing brands in global shipments of periscope camera smartphones
Kuo claims that Apple and Huawei are the two fastest-growing smartphone brands in terms of global shipments of periscope camera smartphones. Huawei’s flagship models for the first half of 2024, the P70, P70 Pro and P70 Art, will all be equipped with periscope lenses. Compared to the P60 lineup launched earlier this year, Kuo expects a 100% increase in shipments for Huawei’s photography-focused flagship series.
Largan, according to Kuo, will supply 85 to 90 percent of the Tetraprism zoom cameras used by Apple in 2024 and 50 to 60 percent of the periscope lens sets used by Huawei. With yields improving and Apple and Huawei ordering new periscope cameras from Largan, Kuo says the company’s profits next year will exceed Wall Street expectations. More importantly, this means that Largan can supply Apple with enough Tetraprism zoom cameras to enable iPhone16 Professional buyers will benefit from the 5x optical zoom.
