iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera Upgrade Might Finally Offer Some Zoom Competition to Android Flagships

The iPhone 15 Pro Max could be the only iPhone in the lineup to feature a periscope zoom lens.

Highlights
  1. iPhone 15 Pro Max might get periscope zoom support this year.
  2. Apple is tipped to launch the Pro Max model with a triple-camera system.
  3. The iPhone 15 Pro Max might offer up to 6x optical zoom.
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Apple might bring some massive upgrades to the iPhone this year. The iPhone 15 series is said to feature Dynamic Island as standard. Apple will ditch the notch in favour of its pill-shaped cutout on the iPhone 15 series. The 15 Pro series, on the other hand, will get some premium materials for a better build. As per reports, the 15 Pro series will get a titanium chassis. The 15 Pro leaked design renders reveal a massive camera bump as well. Some new details of the iPhone 15 Pro Max have leaked now months before the launch.

A new leak revealed some details about the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera upgrades. According to a MacRumors report, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will get an exclusive periscope zoom camera lens. The Pro Max model will have a higher range of optical zoom compared to its predecessor, which offers up to 3x optical zoom. The MacRumors report claims that with the introduction of a periscope lens, the zoom range of the iPhone 15 Pro Max could get doubled.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max could be the only iPhone in the lineup to feature a periscope zoom lens. Also, it is tipped to have the highest zoom range in any iPhone. As per the new leaks, the 15 Pro Max will feature up to 6x optical zoom range. This is in line with analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s leak from July 2022. The periscope technology would be built into the telephoto lens to shoot high-quality optical zoom photos up to 6x.

With a periscope lens, light absorbed by the image sensor is bent or “folded,” allowing for a greater distance between the camera elements within the compact design of a smartphone. Several Android smartphones feature the technology. Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, etc. have featured periscope telephoto zoom tech in their flagship phones over the years. The current lot of flagships, such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (Review), Google Pixel 7 Pro (Review), etc. have been offering at least a 5x optical zoom range. In fact, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the only phone in the flagship space to offer up to 10x optical zoom.

Also Read: New iPhone 15 Pro Renders Show Updated Design; Tipped to Feature Mute Button

Apple might not be able to match Samsung’s supremacy when it comes to camera zoom on a phone in 2023. However, this will be a giant leap in the camera department for the iPhone. This also means that there would be a huge gap in the optical zoom range. The iPhone might shoot at .5x ultra-wide, 1x zoom, 2x optical (by cropping in the main camera) and 5x-6x optical. Apple has been using 3x optical zoom for its portrait mode shots. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how the company makes adjustments to the overall camera experience, especially for the features that have relied on the current tech and hardware.

Also Read: iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max to Come with Physical Buttons as Solid-State Button Design Scrapped for Technical Issues

The 15 Pro Max is tipped to get the latest A17 Bionic SoC. It might also pack a bigger battery with up to 20W fast charging, wireless charging and MagSafe charging. There will be a 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate support and Dynamic Island. The camera sensors might not receive any upgrade in terms of the megapixel count, at least as per the recent rumours. This suggests that the 15 Pro Max will feature a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 12MP periscope zoom lens.