The iPhone 16 Pro again tipped to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max's tetraprism telephoto lens

When Apple announced the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max earlier this month it was confirmed that only the latter model would feature the new tetraprism lens that allows for an improved 5x optical zoom feature. But that will all change in 2024 with the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

That's according to a new report by the well-connected supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who says that the next Pro iPhone will benefit from the same tetraprism lens despite the fact that it wasn't part of the iPhone 15 Pro setup this year.

Writing in a lengthy Medium post discussing Apple and its supplier plans moving forward, Kup said that the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will both feature a tetraprism telephoto camera lens. He expects the current specifications to remain to ensure camera performance, with the number of tetraprism-enabled iPhone shipments expected to increase by around 100% as a result.

The tetraprism configuration allows the iPhone 15 Pro Max to sport a 5x optical zoom that outpaces the 3x optical zoom currently offered in the iPhone 15 Pro. That same zoom lens has been around for a couple of years now, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max pushing beyond 3x with the help of a lens that bounces light around to artificially elongate the distance between the lens itself and the camera sensor. That allows for increased optical zoom without making the iPhone thicker.

We can expect to hear more leaks like this in the coming months and Apple isn't expected to unveil the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineups until around this time in 2024.