Famous analyst Ming-chi Kuo has just made the latest forecast saying that 5x optical zoom will be equipped for all iPhone 16 Pro models that Apple launches in 2024.
According to PhoneArena, this is quite in line with Apple’s new tactic of segmenting their product line in terms of specs and features to push customers towards higher-priced models if they want to get the features. monopoly. That’s why the iPhone Pro line currently sells more than standard iPhones, for example, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to reach sales of 35 million units in the remainder of 2023 alone, up from 28 million units. iPhone 14 Pro Max last year.
But looking forward to 2024, Apple is said to plan to bring a quadrilateral lens to the 5x zoom camera of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to the iPhone 16 Pro version. According to Mr. Kuo’s prediction, iPhone production with quadrilateral lenses will increase by about 110% over the same period last year, to 70 – 80 million units in 2024.
Apple’s quadrilateral lens solution is considered quite ingenious in that it does not require a periscope controller, which takes up more space inside the phone, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra with 10x optical zoom. It has the function of reflecting light back and forth between several prisms to be able to increase the focal length and zoom range of the camera within a certain thickness of the phone camera cluster.
While this may be a cheaper solution to achieving 5x magnification, the kit would still have to be made very precisely and in large quantities if introduced on the iPhone 16 Pro series. Mr. Kuo said these challenges will increase component prices by 30% unless Apple finds and approves alternative quad lens suppliers by April.
The higher cost of the new zoom camera components will likely also increase the price of the iPhone 16 Pro, as since the periscope camera was introduced on Huawei phones, manufacturers have complained about the price of the solution This is extremely expensive and reduces their profit margins. Huawei itself also admitted that this module is very expensive, up to 100 USD per device at the time of initial launch.
Using a quad lens has helped Apple deploy a periscope camera cheaply, but this component still increases the production cost of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This product has a starting price of 1,199 USD, an increase of 100 USD compared to its predecessor, so the possibility that the iPhone 16 Pro will also start at 1,099 USD next year cannot be ruled out.