Another day, another Apple leak, and a familiar one at that. Initially reported by MacRumors, TrendForce has added some confirmation in a press release that the iPhone 16 Pro Tetraprism camera leaked from September and December last year. The folding camera lens tech was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023, with Apple looking to have it as a premium feature for its flagship iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max handsets.
The iPhone 16 Pro Tetraprism camera leaks focus on the cool-as-hell method of folding up a camera lens that fits into the iPhone 16 chassis. This isn’t just a flex, offering up to 5x optical zoom over the standard three featured in last year’s iPhone 15 Pro. Folding the lens also increases image fidelity at longer distances. If these leaks turn out to be true, combined with other rumors and industry speculation we’ve heard about the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera specs, this next Apple flagship could end up as the perfect mobile photography option in 2024.
A Tetraprism camera also explains the more considerable iPhone 16 Pro model rumors, shifting from a 6.1-inch display to a 6.3-inch from the iPhone 15 Pro. It sounds like a minor jump, but this extra space would provide enough internal real estate to accommodate the growing iPhone 16 Pro tetraprism camera leaks.
Taiwanese research firm TrendForce has officially gone on record to prove the existence of the tech in iPhone 16 Pro models in a press release about the smartphone camera lens market expected to grow by 3.8% in 2024:
“Following the successful launch of the iPhone 15 Pro Max with its exclusive Tetraprism telephoto zoom lens, the industry is expected to see an increase in the adoption of periscopic lens modules. Apple plans to bring this advanced hardware upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro, making it accessible to more users in the Pro series.”
Word first crept onto the internet in September 2023 thanks to Ming-Chi Kuo, an industry analyst, writing about the 20% production cost increase for Tetraprism lenses in the iPhone 15 Pro Max production line for Medium:
“Both iPhone 16 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 Pro are expected to feature tetraprism telephoto cameras. If Apple maintains the higher specification for the lens, it will raise the entry barrier for Genius, Apple’s second-largest lens supplier, next year. It suggests that Largan is more likely to maintain its exclusive or primary supplier status for the tetraprism lens next year.”
This was then independently corroborated by MacRumours in December 2023, stating “their findings align with claims made by Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo”
Usually, we’d tell our readers to take this news with a stockpile of salt until it comes straight from the big fruit’s mouth. Still, the iPhone 16 Pro tetraprism camera leak is all but confirmed now. It’s also exciting to see the gap between traditional cameras and smartphone optics closing. However, that fact is arguable in the photography world. Regardless, this represents a significant advancement for camera tech in iPhones and smartphones worldwide. Is it September yet?
There you have it, the latest rumors swirling around the iPhone 16 Pro’s tetraprism camera. To learn more about the latest phones, check out our guides to the best Samsung phones and the best OnePlus phones.