Apple’s iPhones will use a “periscopic telephoto lens” in 2023, according to a research note shared tonight by respected TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
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Kuo didn’t go further, but we’ve heard several previous rumors about Apple’s work on a periscope lens, which would enable significant improvements in optical zoom capabilities. Kuo previously said he expected Apple to adopt a periscope lens in iPhone models before 2022, but it seems he now believes it won’t happen until 2023.
Existing smartphones already use periscope lens technology. Huawei’s P30 Pro allows 5x optical zoom, and an “iPhone” with a periscope lens could have similar capabilities. Current iPhones are up to 2.5x optical zoom and 12x digital zoom, but better zoom capabilities could make Apple’s iPhones compete with smartphones that have focused on zoom functionality. For example, the latest smartphones from Samsung have a 100x zoom function that Apple’s current iPhones cannot match.
In addition to the forecast of periscopic lens technology coming in 2023, Kuo shared details about both the iPhones for 2021 and 2022.
For the 2021 iPhones, Kuo believes Apple will adopt a new Face ID transmitter made from a plastic material instead of glass, which is now possible thanks to improved coating technologies. It is not clear whether this will have end-user benefits for iPhone owners or simply reduce production costs for Apple.
In the past, it was widely believed that the reason the Tx lens had to use glass material was to avoid distortion due to the heat generated by VCSEL operation. Our latest research indicates that the Face ID TX lens for the new 2H21 iPhone will be made of plastic instead of glass, thanks to improved coating technologies, and that the suppliers of Tx plastic lenses are Largan and Genius, with Largan the main beneficiary of this material is. change because of the higher supply share.
High-end iPhones released in 2021 will also have an improved telephoto lens, with Apple upgrading from a 5-element lens to a 6-element lens, which Kuo says is made possible by “design and manufacturing benefits.”
Kuo said improvements to the rear camera coming to high-end iPhones in 2022 will focus on the telephoto lens, with Apple upgrading from a six-element lens to a seven-element lens for the iPhone 14.
IPhone models coming in 2022 are also expected to adopt a new “unibody lens design,” which Kuo says Apple will use to reduce the size of the front camera module.
To reduce the size of the front camera module, we predict that the new iPhone will use a unibody lens at the earliest in 2H22. This design requires the lens and VCM [voice coil motor] assembled before shipping to CCM. As Largan will ship iPhone VCM for new iPhones in 2H21, we believe that if Apple adopts unibody lens design in the future, Largan, a new VCM vendor, can integrate lens design manufacturing advantages and take advantage of this new trend.
Kuo previously said he believes iPhone models will transition from a notch to a hole-punch-like display by 2022 that some Android smartphones have previously adopted. Apple is expected to use this design for high-end iPhones coming in 2022, but if production yields are high enough, all iPhones before 2022 can use the same hole punch design.