The iPhone 13 series has just become popular and the next-generation iPhone is already in development. Although most of the rumors are aimed at the upcoming iPhone 14 series, we already have some speculations regarding the 2023 iPhone 15 series. According to analyst Jeff Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will use a periscope camera lens with 5x optical zoom. Apple has received component samples and will take its final decision in May. If Apple accepts the periscope lens, it would need over 100 million components.
Android flagship smartphones have been using this technology for years. Chinese manufacturer, Oppo, unveiled this technology back in 2017. However, the first smartphone to use a periscope lens is the 2019 Huawei P30 Pro. Huawei and Samsung have also equipped their flagship phones with periscope lenses, which can provide 10x to 100x zoom. Thus, Apple is getting set to copy Chinese technology. As much as Apple fanboys will hate to admit it, Apple copies a lot of hardware technology from Android. The only thing is that Apple waits a few years and then uses the old Android technology with negligible improvements.
Apple is working hard to add a periscope lens to the iPhone 15 series
In fact, Android manufacturers are already shying away from the periscope camera. Popular Apple analysts, Ming-Chi Kuo previously mentioned that Apple is working hard to add a periscope lens to the iPhone 15 series.
A periscope lens is a telephoto lens that mimics the design of a periscope.
It uses a special optical prism to refract light into the lens group to achieve imaging. This can greatly increase the focal length of the camera, improve the zoom ability and shoot farther scenes. It does this without significantly increasing the thickness of the phone. However, it is important to note that this technology occupies a large area inside the smartphone.
Read Also: Top 3 reasons why Android brands shy away from periscope telephoto lens
iPhone 15 series periscope lens potential supplier
It is important to note that if Apple chooses a single supplier, the supplier will eventually become a major Apple supplier. This is because the company will need over 100 million units which is huge. Although there are reports of Lanter Optical, Apple has a very long list of options. The Elec claims that LG InnoTek could be a potential supplier. However, Apple can still work with Sunny Optical, Oufeiguang, Lijing Optoelectronics Samsung Electro-Mechanics, etc.
For now, its main lens supplier is Dali Guanghe Sunny Optical while the main CMOS chip suppliers are Sony and Samsung. The main VCM suppliers are TDK and Mitsumi, and the main prism suppliers include Sunny Optical, China Optical, Asia Optical, Crystal Optoelectronics, and Optrontec.
Do you think it is a good idea for Apple to use the periscope telephoto camera in the iPhone 15 Pro series? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below
