High-end Android phones expected to copy one feature of the iPhone 15 Pro Max Tetraprism camera،
Ming-Chi Kuo, analyst at TF International today published a new research note about the glass-plastic hybrid lenses used by Apple on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and about to be used by Huawei for one of its first flagship models of 2024, the P70 Art. THE iPhone 15 Pro Max uses such a hybrid lens for the Tetraprism periscope camera which offers up to 5x optical zoom. This lens is called 1G3P, which means it is made of one part glass and three parts plastic.
Kuo says in his research note that the use of glass-plastic hybrid lenses in the iPhone 15 Pro Max and Huawei P70 Art will bring certain changes to the industry. Kuo sees this trend leading to the use of molded/spherical glass in these hybrid lenses rather than lower quality glass. The analyst also considers that 1G3P lenses become more competitive compared to 8P lenses consisting of eight plastic elements. 1G3P lenses have the advantage of being lower and continue to be more competitive than 8Ps in terms of price.
Speaking of price, the 1G3P hybrid lens used by Huawei costs $12 at the prototype stage. The analyst predicts the price will drop to $6 or $7 in mass production as yield rates increase. Higher returns at Largan will also allow Apple to add the Tetraprism lens to the iPhone 16 Pro next year.
iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Tetraprism camera offers up to 5x optical zoom
The analyst also claims that glass-plastic hybrid lenses will be better able to correct lens distortion created by the design of compact camera modules (CCMs). Perhaps the most important part of Kuo’s note is that he sees more high-end phones using hybrid glass-plastic lenses, following the example set by Apple and Huawei. Since Apple uses the iOS platform and Huawei has its own HarmonyOS, Kuo has to talk about the adoption of this optical technology by flagship and high-end Android phones.
Currently, “Largan and Sunny Optical are the leading manufacturers of glass-plastic hybrid lenses,” according to Kuo. However, Largan has more experience in this market, and with its advantage in plastic lenses, Kuo gives the nod to Largen who he says “has a higher advantage over Sunny Optical.”
