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Apparently people still do not understand how R&D works.
You mean it doesn't only cost $4 to add a $4 part to a device? Someone has to design and engineer that part to work? Someone has to test it and refine the design? Someone has to update the software of the camera app to work with it? Someone has to market it? Someone has to support it?
 
So apples ethical supply chain does not allow a supplier to make a profit so they can make a nice profit !!! The supplier should have said no ! But if they loose that contact do people loose their job ? Questioning how ethical a supply chain it is ?
You're judging Apple based on the comment of one "analyst"? Even if Kuo is correct about Largen only breaking even (questionable), do you think Largen Precision (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largan_Precision) might just be doing this because they think it makes business sense? You think Apple is forcing another successful business to partner with them and people at Largen have no choice in the matter?
 
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Do you know if the periscope lenses will be static or shifting in order to get an adaptive optical zoom ? Cause to me, it would be pointless to get a 5x or more if they ditch the current 3x
 
Yay, now I can zoom in on my friend‘s acne at night at the bar or my dog’s butt at the dog park or at work where I can optical zoom 10X up my friend’s ass as he stocks store shelves where 99.9% of pictures are taken.

I can’t wait for my seventh camera with a periscope lens that has 2,000,000x Optical Zoom so I can finally see COVID on my cat’s butthole.
 
As expected. It'll trickle down to Pro next year and the iPhone 17 will get it...maybe.

Good thing I always go for the best available iPhone. I want the best experience.

Someday we will return to a single camera iPhone :rolleyes:
i don't even care anymore. i used to hate the 3 camera set up but doesn't bother me. what really bothers me is the insanely huge camera bump. i get it's hard to pack all that stuff inside a phone but i wouldn't mind if they made the phone thicker and put a larger battery in too.
 
I had one of these in 2003 - the Minolta DiMage X
Everything old is new again...
Thanks for the nostalgia trip (RIP DPreview). Physics are physics, but yeah it took phone manufacturers 15 years to miniaturize this. Perhaps they needed to wait for a small sensor sensitive enough to light to be that far from the lens?
 
I've been holding out for this on the smaller pro model. Perhaps waiting an extra year to let Apple refine the lens after being in consumers' hands will pay off.
 
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Why though?
Because many people want all the features but have no interest in the larger phone. I know I do. That being said, it does appear there is a reason here, potentially due to the size of periscope lens. If that's the case, so be it. But otherwise, I agree with the poster you responded to, that the only difference between Pro models should be the size (when at all possible).
 
A periscopic telephoto zoom and USB-C, sounds encouraging! Now if Cupertino will just abandon the folly of dynamic island and give us a proper 16:9 screen with proper top and bottom bezels (e.g. zero silly cutouts) and a home button again, I'd be all over this! :)
 
Looks like I'll be waiting until the 16Pro for my better telephoto lens then. I don't want to carry around a mini-iPad in my pocket just for a better lens.
Same thought here. While I don't need to upgrade from my iPhone 12 Pro, it would be tempting to upgrade to the iPhone 15 Pro if it comes with the new lens feature. However, I can certainly wait for the iPhone 16 Pro of maybe even the iPhone 20 Pro :). I'm overall satisfied with the iPhone 12 Pro; the only thing wanting is a better camera.
 
There should be no difference between Pro and Pro Max other than size.
It will be really disappointing if they repeat that mistake again.
Yep! Not happy they are going to do this again.

The smaller Pro should be called Semi-Pro if they plan this because its not a Pro compared to their "other" Pro.

I shouldn't have to opt for a bigger phone to get a better camera.
 
As expected. It'll trickle down to Pro next year and the iPhone 17 will get it...maybe.

Good thing I always go for the best available iPhone. I want the best experience.


i don't even care anymore. i used to hate the 3 camera set up but doesn't bother me. what really bothers me is the insanely huge camera bump. i get it's hard to pack all that stuff inside a phone but i wouldn't mind if they made the phone thicker and put a larger battery in too.
Apple has so far kept any zoom lens to the larger or pro phones for the upsell factor. My guess would be them replacing the less consumer friendly ultra wide with the much more consumer friendly 2 or 3x lenses from the current pros.
 
Bummer.

Pro Max should be a bigger chassis with a bigger screen and battery, period. Like the iPhone 14 Pro line.
Not more features.
Exaaaactly. And they're going back to this again. Of course, as I ended up switching to the Max model this year — I won't be bitter about this, but I think it's just not right — not everyone wants a phone as big as the Max.
 
According to Kuo, the average selling price for Largan's shipped periscope camera lenses is around $4 (including the prisms), which is notably lower than the market consensus of $4.50 to $5 or higher. Kuo claims that the $4 price means Largan cannot profit from the periscope camera lens.

How do you manufacture something and not make a profit? That makes no sense from a business standpoint.
 
what really bothers me is the insanely huge camera bump. i get it's hard to pack all that stuff inside a phone but i wouldn't mind if they made the phone thicker and put a larger battery in too.
everybody says this, but completely ignores the fact that the phone wouldn’t just be thicker.
to make that bump entirely flush, the phone would have to be… Almost double as thick.
It would be probably around the thickness of the original iPad, 13.4 mm.
That’s thicker than the original iPhone, and the iPhone 3G.
And keep in mind that those had 3.5 inches screens… This would have a 6.7 inch screen.
And thick? The bigger problem would be the heft.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is already quite heavy… Imagine doubling the thickness. The thing would be an absolute brick.
We’re not talking about the iPhone 6 anymore, if that phone had a flush camera it would only be a little bit thicker.
But the idea that they could just cover up the camera bump by making the phone thicker these days is… Totally and completely unrealistic. It would be comically large.
 
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According to Kuo, the average selling price for Largan's shipped periscope camera lenses is around $4 (including the prisms), which is notably lower than the market consensus of $4.50 to $5 or higher. Kuo claims that the $4 price means Largan cannot profit from the periscope camera lens.

How do you manufacture something and not make a profit? That makes no sense from a business standpoint.

It could be they are expecting the manufacturing cost to come down as volume increases, so it will be profitable long term. That is not unusual.

A periscopic telephoto zoom and USB-C, sounds encouraging! Now if Cupertino will just abandon the folly of dynamic island and give us a proper 16:9 screen with proper top and bottom bezels (e.g. zero silly cutouts) and a home button again, I'd be all over this! :)

So a proper bezel lacks a notch but has a huge bezel around a home button?
 
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There is no free lunch, this does diminish optical performance. People like buzzwords like “periscope camera” without really knowing what they’re actually asking for. The image stabilization will have to be much more advanced to even make such a long lens usable on a handheld device
 
Good. I didn’t want some big-A** phone.

I’ll upgrade when it comes to the normal sized phones :)
 
The light isn't reflected off an angled mirror - it uses prisms. You can even see them in the cutaway image.
Good grief... doesn't anyone bother to check anything these days?
 
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