iPhone 16 Pro again tipped to sport 5x tetraprism lens

When Apple announced the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max back in September of 2023 both of the cameras got updates, but it was only the bigger of the two models that were unveiled with new 5x zoom capabilities. That was made possible thanks to the use of a new tetraprism camera lens that folded light in a way that allows for increased zoom without moving the camera lens and sensor further away from each other. Apple wasn't able to fit the fancy lens into the smaller iPhone 15 Pro. That looks set to change with the launch of this year's models.

We've been hearing that there are plans for the iPhone 16 Pro to sport the same 5x camera for a little while now and a new report now backs that up even further. If accurate, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will offer 5x optical zoom thanks to a tetraprism lens.

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This latest report comes via Taiwanese research firm TrendForce and was shared in a press release that added fuel to the zoom lens fire.

According to the report, Apple plans to bring the same feature to all Pro models this year. The move will offer a notable zoom upgrade over the iPhone 15 Pro's 3x lens.

If Apple follows its usual release cadence we can expect it to announce the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max alongside the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus in the first weeks of September. It will then likely make them available for preorder the same Friday before putting the devices on sale the Friday after that.