According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the two iPhone 16 Pros could integrate the new 5x telephoto lens next year. In the current range, only the iPhone 15 Pro Max is entitled to this, although this exclusivity could only last for a year. However, there is one problem that would have to be solved, and it would be less of a lack of interior space and more of a production problem.
The tetraprism allowed Apple to incorporate the equivalent of a 5x optical zoom without making the iPhone 15 Pro Max too bulky.
In fact, the manufacture of the tetraprism and the associated sensor stabilized on three axes would be complicated and, according to the analyst, the biggest blockage point in the production line of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple could only count on a single supplier for the time being and, above all, the company would be forced to urgently increase its quality requirements. This last-minute adjustment would have increased production costs for Apple, but was the only way to have enough parts for launch, according to Ming-Chi Kuo.
Largan is the only Apple supplier capable of producing this tetraprism in sufficient quantities and, above all, with the requirements required by Apple. The price of this component would have increased by 20%, which would be good news, especially for Largan. On the Cupertino side, we would look for ways to reduce these costs, particularly by trying to add a second supplier for the iPhone 16 Pro. However, the analyst believes that the Taiwanese company should remain the main supplier, if not the only one, next year.
It remains to be seen whether the two iPhone 16 Pros would be technically identical except for the size of their panel or whether Apple will find another idea to differentiate the two products. It’s been a few years since the lineups worked in pairs, differing only by the dimensions of the screen, but rumor has it that Apple is pushing the high-end even further with the introduction of an Ultra model. If the 5x telephoto lens is no longer an argument, perhaps we need to find others…