Yeah, Apple actually patented 20 year old technology, with the "twist" that it would be inside a smartphone.
Who's the patent troll?
No they didn’t.
First, they filed the patent in 2014.
Second, here’s an example claim from the patent - please tell us where this was done 20 years ago:
18. A folded telephoto lens system, comprising:
a plurality of refractive lens elements arranged along a folded optical axis of the telephoto lens system, wherein at least one surface of at least one of the plurality of lens elements is aspheric;
wherein the telephoto lens system has effective focal length f within a range of 10.0 millimeters to 14 millimeters, wherein total track length (TTL) of the telephoto lens system is 14 millimeters or less, and wherein the telephoto ratio (TTL/J) of the lens system is within a range of 0.8 to 1.0; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of lens elements is composed of a first material, and wherein at least one other of the plurality of lens elements is composed of a second material with different optical characteristics than the first material;
wherein the plurality of lens elements includes, in order along the folded optical axis from an object side of the telephoto lens system to an image side of the telephoto lens system:
a first lens element with positive refractive power having a convex object side surface;
a second lens element with negative refractive power;
a light path folding element configured to redirect light from a first optical path of the folded optical axis on to a second optical path of the folded optical axis;
a third lens element with negative refractive power; and
a fourth lens element with positive refractive power, wherein the fourth lens element is positive meniscus shape and has a concave image side surface.