iPhone 15 Pro Max Expected to Feature 5-6x Optical Zoom [Updated]

[r_123]

That would be fantastic! I agree, ok new theory:

3x telephoto lens gets 48mp and also a new 6x native zoom option

Periscope is 10x and only for ultra model

my thoughts as well: 48mp for the 3x - so you also have a decent 6x as well (crop like the 2x crop from the 1x is today)

if they do this, i don't see any reason implementing a separate 6x with 12mp... should at least be a 8x 12mp in this case. that'd be great, i think...

0.5x, 1x, 2x (crop), 3x, 6x (crop), 8x

also really like the 3x focal length...

 

[AppleFr3ak]

Samsung has a 200x zoom. Moon jokes aside, the technology is very impressive and I hope to see it implemented in upcoming iPhone camera technology.

 

[cdsapplefan]

If Apple can change the design late as far as solid-state technology and remove the haptic feedback components, why can’t they add the periscope lens to the regular pro non-max model?

It’s kinda like how Apple put mini-LED technology in the iPad Pro 12.4 inch but put regular LCD in the smaller iPad Pro 10 inch. Apple apparently wants you to buy the biggest device to get all the upgrades

 

[the future]

They are not. There isn't a smartphone on the market with a variable optical zoom.

I guess you saved me a lot of money right now. 😊 Seems I was confused because computer tech sites use the word „zoom“ wrong all the time. 🙄 Also, I never read any reviews of Android phones with telescope lenses as there is zero chance I would ever buy a phone that is not an iPhone. 😬

As such I was almost resigned to the fact that I would have to get the 15 Pro Max, but if it just gets a fixed 5x or 6x tele instead of the 3x tele of the 14 Pros, it would actually be a kind of downgrade wrt the focal lengths I use most. If the longer tele is added, I might still get it.

 

[r_123]

I guess you saved me a lot of money right now. 😊 Seems I was confused because computer tech sites use the word „zoom“ wrong all the time. 🙄 Also, I never read any reviews of Android phones with telescope lenses as there is zero chance I would ever buy a phone that is not an iPhone. 😬

As such I was almost resigned to the fact that I would have to get the 15 Pro Max, but if it just gets a fixed 5x or 6x tele instead of the 3x tele of the 14 Pros, it would actually be a kind of downgrade wrt the focal lengths I use most. If the longer tele is added, I might still get it.

i don't think they'll get rid of the 3x. many people find this focal length useful.

 

[PantherKang]

I can only imagine the upgrade from regular XS to 15 Pro Max/Ultra I will see this year. It's time for me to get a better camera and bigger phone for tethering at work. The battery life itself I can't wait to see for myself.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

That is such a dumb take. If you are calling something a pro, it should match the features outside of size constraints ones (battery, screen, etc.). If rumors are true about the camera bump getting even larger, no reason the pro can't have this other than to try and upsell people. Not everyone wants a tablet in their hand they have to carry around all of the time.

I don't think the 5-6x Optical Zoom module is capable to fit regular Pro Models. Yeah.. Size matters.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Well you did say 2025. Device that old won’t be receiving updates then for sure, if it scrapes past this year then it’ll be the last current, if iOS 16 isn’t already.

iOS 16 - released fall 2022, will still get security updates for another year starting fall 2023 (this is for devices that can't update past iOS 16).
iOS 17 - planned release fall 2023
iOS 17 will continue to get a year of security updates from fall 2024 to fall 2025
iOS 18 - planned release fall 2024

 

[kalafalas]

my thoughts as well: 48mp for the 3x - so you also have a decent 6x as well (crop like the 2x crop from the 1x is today)

if they do this, i don't see any reason implementing a separate 6x with 12mp... should at least be a 8x 12mp in this case. that'd be great, i think...

0.5x, 1x, 2x (crop), 3x, 6x (crop), 8x

also really like the 3x focal length...

I think this is where it’s going as well! I don’t hate the 3x on my 13 pro, but I really miss the 2x it was perfect

 

[GDF]

Should at least be 10x to match some Android phones and should be for all the Pro phones, not just the Max. Why can’t Apple improve and out perform Samsung/Google phones with photo features and not just be followers. Try to lead Apple.

 

[SFjohn]

This sounds great but I want it in the Pro too.

Are you willing to give up a large chunk of battery life to make room for a rarely used feature? 🤭

 

[1madman1]

Its amusing how Sony was producing optically stabilized folded lens cameras with completely internal focus and zoom mechanisms 17+ years ago and no one seemed to give a damn.

 

[Gengar]

Nice, I hope the phone weighs 10 pounds since people don’t seem to mind how heavy they’ve gotten.

Isn’t titanium (at the same strength) lighter than steel?

 

[CarAnalogy]

If they made a pro mini I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Idk when they always put the best stuff in the obnoxiously huge phones.

Physics, mostly. You just can’t fit that much stuff into a much smaller case without it being dense as lead, if it’s even possible at all. The regular Pro is already surprisingly heavy.

 

[dampfnudel]

My uneducated guess:

The 3x on both pro models will become a 5x optical lens, now that the main sensor can take care of the 2x natively for portraits.

The newly introduced untra model will also have a periscope lens, capable of 10x optical

That may be a little too uneducated or perhaps should I say premature.

 

[svish]

Will be great if the Pro Max has 5 to 6x zoom. Periscope zoom is coming to iPhones finally!!

 

[DarthDon]

Brilliant, almost a true optical zoom with periscope lens

Until it falls down...

 

[DarthDon]

If they made a pro mini I’d buy it in a heartbeat. Idk when they always put the best stuff in the obnoxiously huge phones.

It takes space away. Do you want a phone with such a little battery?

 

[FelixDerKater]

10x would be a good selling point.

 

[woolypants]

At the moment none of this matter to me until Apple fixes its massively aggressive machine-learning/AI image processing. Zoom in even a little and pictures look *****.

 

[bradman83]

At the moment none of this matter to me until Apple fixes its massively aggressive machine-learning/AI image processing. Zoom in even a little and pictures look *****.

Some third party camera apps like you take shots with a fair amount of the computational photography processes turned off. I know the Lightroom app does, and Halide might as well. The downside is that these are usually raw image files that require more fine tuning to look as good as a (zoomed out) shot from the default camera app.

 

[seat_hydrant]

How does Samsung manage it in their smaller devices?

I don't think they do. They have a periscope lens in the S23 Ultra which is significantly larger than the standard size iPhone.

 

[MacLoveMacHate]

Usually I'd moan at the fact that they restrict high-end features on larger phones cause I think there's a huge customer base who want the top-tier phone in a small package.

But this feature looks like it'll take up so much room in the device, I can't really fault them.

Same. I'm hoping this only takes a year to come to the smaller Pro, hopefully working out any kinks from v1 in the process.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Look, the cellphones that have the periscope zoom telephone sensor tend to be quite large. The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and now Galaxy S23 Ultra models are physically quite big, which means plenty of room to accommodate such a lens. As such, not surprised only the iPhone 15 Pro Max will get this periscope zoom telephoto system.

 

[capamac]

My favorite camera design was like those on the iPhone 5s, back when the camera lens was absolutely flush with the phone body. I dislike the current lenses that protrude from the body. IMO a single, flush lens is ideal. The extra lenses should be removed. Go back to a simpler camera design. Forget all the ultra wide and short-tele stuff.