What you should know
- TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts an upgrade to the front-facing FaceTime camera for next year’s iPhone 17 series, increasing the resolution from 12MP to 24MP.
- The FaceTime camera on the iPhone 17 will use a six-element lens, compared to the five-element lens used on the iPhone 15 and 16 lines. This is expected to improve the quality of video chats and images.
- Genius, Apple‘s primary supplier for the lens used on the iPhone’s FaceTime camera, is expected to see a revenue increase over the next one to two years due to the camera upgrades.
- The iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a 48MP ultra-wide camera and a larger 6.3-inch screen. Genius will be the exclusive supplier of the ultra-wide lens for this year’s iPhone 16 Pro series.
Full Story
Ming-Chi Kuo, the TF International analyst, is like a walking encyclopedia on everything Apple. He’s so well connected, he could probably tell you the soup of the day at Apple’s Cupertino cafeteria a year from now. Now, he’s got some scoop on an upgrade for the iPhone 17 series’ front-facing FaceTime camera.
In a recent blog post, Kuo predicts a revenue hike for Genius. Who’s Genius? Well, they’re the primary supplier for the lens used on the iPhone’s FaceTime camera. This revenue boost is expected over the next one or two years.
Why the sudden surge for Genius? It’s all thanks to an upgrade to the iPhone 17 line’s front-facing camera. The current 12MP camera, which is also expected for this year’s iPhone 16 series, will be bumped up to 24MP.
But that’s not all. The FaceTime camera on the iPhone 17 will also use a six-element lens. That’s a step up from the five-element lens used for the FaceTime camera lens on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 lines. This upgrade should enhance the quality of video chats and images taken with the camera.
Now, let’s talk numbers. The unit price of the six-element lens (6P) is 100% to 120% higher than the cost of the 5P lens.
Kuo also dropped some info about the iPhone 16 Pro models. Apparently, they’ll have a 48MP ultra-wide camera.
The iPhone 16 Pro, with its larger 6.3-inch screen, is expected to feature the Tetraprism periscope zoom. This feature will be present not only on the iPhone 16 Pro Max but also on the iPhone 16 Pro.
And who’s supplying the periscope lens? Largan is the main supplier, but Genius is also in the game. They’re supplying the two iPhone 16 Pro series models with periscope lenses and will start shipping them at the end of the second quarter this year or early in the third quarter.
Genius has also bagged the exclusive rights to supply the ultra-wide lens for this year’s iPhone 16 Pro series. This lens will be upgraded to 48MP with a pixel size of 0.7um and a sensor size of 1/2.6″. This is a significant upgrade from the iPhone 15 Pro series 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 1.0um pixel size and a sensor size of 1/3.6″.
And there’s more. Genius will be Apple’s exclusive supplier of the flat, thin “pancake lens” used on the Vision Pro. They will also deliver the ultra-wide lens for Huawei’s upcoming new P70 flagship series expected during the first half of this year.
Kuo’s track record might have dipped a bit, but when it comes to Apple, you still gotta listen to what he’s saying.
