What you should know
- The next-generation iPhone 16 Pro models are rumored to feature a tetraprism lens, following its debut in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
- Due to spatial constraints, the iPhone 15 Pro did not include the new tetraprism telephoto camera, but the iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to be upsized to accommodate this technology.
- The tetraprism lens offers significant advantages over traditional telephoto lenses, such as reducing chromatic aberration, allowing more light to reach the image sensor, and enabling significant zoom without increasing physical length.
- While the information about the iPhone 16 Pro models is pre-production, it is subject to change as the expected launch date in September 2024 is still months away.
Full Story
The iPhone 16 launch date? Still a blip in the distant future. But the rumor mill? Oh, it’s churning alright. The latest buzz? The iPhone 16 Pro might just come with a tetraprism lens. And this isn’t just idle gossip – another source has backed this up.
MacRumors has thrown its hat into the ring. They’re saying Apple‘s set to pull the curtains back on a brand-new telephoto camera. And not just any telephoto camera. This one’s got a cutting-edge tetraprism design. It’s going to be a showstopper in the pro models of the iPhone 16 series, they say.
Remember the iPhone 15 Pro Max? That’s when we first saw this tech. Now, it looks like the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will get the same treatment in 2024. The iPhone 15 Pro, though? It missed out on the tetraprism telephoto camera party. Space issues, probably.
The components for this advanced camera? They’re big. Too big for the smaller device, it seems. For context, the Pro model has a 6.1-inch display. The Pro Max? It’s got a 6.7-inch display.
But Apple’s got a plan. They’re thinking of upsizing the iPhone 16 Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max displays could measure around 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch, respectively. This would give them the space they need for the new tetraprism telephoto camera. MacRumors seems to think so too, based on some internal documents they’ve seen.
These documents? They show that the camera module design for the iPhone 16 Pro is a lot like the one in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And yes, the tetraprism components are there. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This info is pre-production. The final product might look different. And with September 2024 still months away, anything could happen.
Now, about that tetraprism lens. The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the first iPhone to have a periscope lens (a type of telephoto lens). Traditional telephoto lenses? They get their zoom by extending their focal length. But that makes them bulky and not great for smartphones. The tetraprism lens, though? It’s got a smart optical design that allows for big zoom without increasing its physical length.
How does it work? Light enters a series of four prisms in the tetraprism lens. These prisms bend and redirect the light towards the image sensor. This doubles the lens’s focal length, giving us a 5x optical zoom without a bulky design.
The tetraprism lens has other perks too. It can reduce chromatic aberration, a type of lens distortion that causes color fringing around objects. It can also let in more light, resulting in sharper, more detailed images, especially in low-light conditions.
In a nutshell, the tetraprism lens is a game-changer for smartphone photography. It offers big zoom capabilities without compromising image quality. It’s a thrilling piece of tech that’s set to shake up mobile photography in the coming years.
