Edward Collins 
Dec 22, 2023
Apple is likely to introduce a tetraprism telephoto lens in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in the coming year.
Although in the iPhone 15 Pro series, only the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max featured an improved telephoto lens, offering 5x optical zoom compared to the 3x on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, speculation surrounds an increase in the size of the iPhone 16 Pro models, potentially allowing for a more advanced telephoto camera in the smaller variant.
Tetraprism tetraprism telephoto lens
Incorporating the tetraprism telephoto lens, however, poses challenges for Apple, primarily due to space constraints. The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the sole beneficiary of the tetraprism telephoto camera in the iPhone 15 series, highlighting the spatial limitations faced by Apple.
Reports hint at a size increase for both iPhone 16 Pro models, with the iPhone 16 Pro reaching 6.3 inches and the iPhone 16 Pro Max reaching 6.9 inches.
Internal documentation cited in the report suggested that the tetraprism module and camera design for the iPhone 16 Pro might resemble the setup in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max: Reiteration of Ming-Chi Kuo
It remains unclear whether both iPhone 16 Pro models will share the same camera setup as the iPhone 15 Pro Max or if Apple plans any modifications.
This marks the third occasion where Ming-Chi Kuo, a TF Securities analyst, has asserted that the iPhone 16 Pro will feature the advanced tetraprism telephoto lens.
Kuo's previous predictions included the exclusion of the improved telephoto lens in the iPhone 15 Pro model, emphasizing the dynamic nature of Apple's camera technology decisions.
