Apple Shuffles Suppliers for Periscope Telephoto Lens in 2023 iPhones
Apple hopes to circumvent Samsung in the supply of components for a "folded" telephoto lens for 2023 iPhones, according to unnamed sources cited by Korean website The Elec.
The report claims Apple has approached Jahwa Electronics, which is part of Samsung's supply chain, to supply an optical image stabilization module for the camera. Jahwa co-developed the technology with Samsung, which could cause Apple patent problems down the line. However, Apple likely has its own workaround for the patents or will end up paying a licensing fee to Samsung, according to the report.
The Elec links these latest developments to iPhone models for release in 2023, but the outlet has previously claimed that Apple may use components made by Samsung for a "folded" telephoto lens on at least some iPhone models in 2022.
Samsung's Electro-Mechanics subsidiary will reportedly supply components such as actuators and lenses to LG, which in turn will use the components to manufacture the folded camera module to supply to Apple. This move would supposedly prevent Apple from hurting its relationship with LG, and address issues related to patents.
The possibility of a folded or "periscope" lens on 2022 iPhones was first mentioned by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in March last year, and there have been several rumors since. The technology would allow for significantly increased optical zoom on iPhones, well beyond the current 2x and 2.5x limits on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, respectively. Huawei's P40 Pro+ smartphone, for example, features a periscope lens with up to 10x optical zoom.
With folded camera optics, light absorbed by the image sensor is bent or "folded," allowing for increased optical zoom and improved image quality while maintaining a compact lens design appropriate for smartphones. For a more detailed explanation of what a periscope lens is and when Apple will adopt one in its iPhones, check out our dedicated guide.
Popular Stories
Apple is rumored to be planning a revamp of the Apple Watch for the device's tenth anniversary, and 91mobiles claims to have sourced CAD renders of what could be the "Apple Watch X" or Apple Watch Series 10 from industry insiders. The site claims that the renders are of a "larger" model featuring a 2-inch display. The current Apple Watch Series 9 has a 1.7-inch display, while the Apple Watch ...
Apple's upcoming iOS 18 software update is packed with features for supported iPhones, but it also promises to make your AirPods Pro experience better with a handful of sophisticated new capabilities that draw from machine learning improvements and AI enhancements. The following five AirPods Pro features are expected to arrive later this year, when iOS 18 is released to the general public in ...
Apple today released new firmware update for several products, including the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2, the first-generation AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max, the second and third-generation AirPods, the Beats Fit Pro, and the PowerBeats Pro. The second-generation AirPods Pro models, the PowerBeats Pro, and the Beats Fit Pro now have firmware version 6F8, up from 6F7,...
There appears to be an ongoing outage with international roaming across multiple cellular networks, with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile customers abroad complaining about the issue on social networks and cellular community forums. Customers traveling internationally have been without service since late Wednesday for hours at a time, with many losing cellular, text, and data. That has left many...
Apple today released the second betas of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 to developers, and the software adds support for new features that Apple is working on, plus it tweaks some of the interface changes that have been made in the updates. Apple will refine iOS 18 over the course of the next few months, with multiple changes and refinements expected from now until September. We've highlighted...
