This year, Apple gave fans a big reason to pay extra for the most expensive model. While the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro maintained the same 3x optical zoom as its recent predecessors, the 6.7-inch Pro Max got a brand new tetraprism lens, opening the door to 5x optical zoom and making it one of the best camera phones money can buy.
While nobody would say no to the additional photography range, there are plenty of people who would reject the extra weight and footprint. Clearly, 6.7-inch smartphones aren’t for everyone, but if you found yourself in that boat this year, then there’s good news on the horizon for next year’s iPhone 16 range.
In his latest research note, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo writes that Largan — the maker of the photography hardware — will do well for itself in 2024, largely from “two iPhone 16 Pro models adopting tetraprism lenses”.
While that slightly ambiguous phrasing could refer to the occasionally rumored Ultra model iPhone, Kuo has previously mentioned the iPhone 16 Pro adopting the tetraprism lens, so it would seem that’s what’s meant here.
This would be an excellent upgrade. In our iPhone 15 Pro Max review, we were full of praise for the new camera which “delivered a sharper and warmer picture at 5x” than the excellent Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. It’s also brilliant for video with the new Action Mode.
While the upgrade isn’t guaranteed, Kuo has a generally strong track record with his Apple predictions, so this feels pretty likely to come to pass, especially given how well the 5x zoom has been received by reviewers and buyers alike.
That said, Kuo isn’t infallible. Notably, he recently suggested that iPhone 15 Pro overheating issues might have to do with the new titanium shell — something Apple subsequently resolved via a software patch, proving the theory incorrect.
It’s early days for iPhone 16 Pro rumors, but we have heard a few things. For one, the handsets are set to get a size increase, with the regular model reaching 6.3 inches and the iPhone 16 Pro Max hitting 6.9 inches. Along with a bump in processing power (presumably via the A18 Pro chip), the adoption of Wi-Fi 7 and the introduction of a 48MP ultrawide lens has also been tipped.
