iPhone 16 Pro just tipped for a big camera upgrade — and it's stolen from the Max

iPhone 15 Pro Max shown in hand
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The rumor that Apple will be bringing the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s tetraprism camera with 5x zoom to the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max has returned. However, this time the information comes to us from the Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.

While TrendForce’s press release was more focused on the overall smartphone camera lens market they did make a small mention about the supposed changes. In the press release Trend Force said,

“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.”

iPhone 16 Pro render blue bg

(Image credit: @MajinBuOfficial)

This isn't the first time we have heard about this potential addition to the iPhone 16 Pro. There was an indication that Apple had been planning to introduce the camera since October of last year when it was mentioned by Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo where it was stated that Largan — the maker of the photography hardware — will do well in 2024, due to “two iPhone 16 Pro models adopting tetraprism lenses".

The addition of the tetraprism lens would be a great one for the next generation of iPhones. In our iPhone 15 Pro Max review, we praised the camera and the high-quality images it produced at 5x zoom, even though it still trails the Galaxy S24 Ultra in zooming power.  

Outside of the camera, there is plenty to be excited about for the next generation of iPhone pros. These include a new suite of AI features. There are also rumors that the iPhone 16 Pro could receive a bigger 6.3-inch screen, as well as new OLED materials that could offer much better screen quality.

While we don’t have any official word on the new camera options coming for the iPhone 16 series this seems like a reasonably fair bet. Be sure to check out our iPhone 16 Pro hub for all the latest rumors and leaks. 

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Josh Render
Staff Writer

Josh is a staff writer for Tom's Guide and is based in the UK. He has worked for several publications but now works primarily on mobile phones. Outside of phones, he has a passion for video games, novels, and Warhammer. 

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