Recently, MacRumors has obtained information indicating that Apple plans to incorporate the tetraprism telephoto lens in both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max slated for release in 2024.
More Rumors about the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max Camera Setup
Our findings align with statements made by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in September, a sentiment that has been reiterated more recently. The Elec also released a report earlier this month supporting the same claim about the availability of tetraprism, albeit with additional details.
While the current iPhone 15 Pro Max already features a tetraprism telephoto camera, utilizing a folded glass structure with a tetraprism design that reflects light multiple times, enabling up to 5x optical zoom—up from 3x on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Notably, this year’s iPhone 15 Pro did not incorporate the new tetraprism telephoto camera, likely due to spatial constraints. The components required for the tetraprism camera take up significantly more space than the current telephoto camera on the iPhone 15 Pro, making it incompatible with the smaller 6.1” device.
For the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro, Apple plans to increase the overall size of the devices, with the displays of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max measuring approximately 6.3″ and 6.9″, respectively. The larger device sizes would accommodate the new tetraprism telephoto camera comfortably, a shift corroborated by internal documentation seen by MacRumors.
Internal documentation outlining the camera module design for the iPhone 16 Pro reveals a striking resemblance to the module used in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Upon inspection, the area containing the tetraprism components is readily identifiable.
It is crucial to note that the information provided here represents pre-production details and may not accurately reflect the hardware featured in the final mass-production units. The iPhone 16 Pro is still months away, and adjustments are always possible.
