iPhone 16 Pro Max Rumored to Feature Super Telephoto Camera
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could be the first to feature a super telephoto periscope camera for dramatically increased optical zoom, according to a new report coming out of Asia.
![iPhone 15 Pro Periscope Mock Feature](https://images.macrumors.com/t/u5IAhJupknfyFhBmGZloktFEB0U=/400x0/article-new/2023/02/iPhone-15-Pro-Periscope-Mock-Feature.jpg?lossy)
The information comes from the Weibo account "Digital Chat Station," which has provided accurate information about Apple's plans in the past. The label of "super" or "ultra" telephoto is usually afforded to cameras with a focal length over 300mm, drastically magnifying and pulling in distant subjects. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro models' telephoto camera has a focal length of equivalent to 77mm, so a focal length in excess of 300mm on the iPhone 16 Pro Max would be a very large increase.
Super telephoto cameras are often used for sports and wild animal photography, but the extremely soft backgrounds they create also make them useful for portrait photography, providing there is enough distance between the subject and the photographer.
The change is seemingly facilitated by Apple's upgrade to a periscope telephoto camera system, starting with the iPhone 15 Pro Max later this year. With next year's iPhone 16 Pro models, Apple is reportedly planning to bring the telephoto camera to both of the "Pro" models, apparently enabled by increasing the smaller model's size. As such, giving the iPhone 16 Pro Max a super telephoto periscope would enable Apple to maintain differentiation between the two "Pro" devices next year.
The Weibo user also reiterated their previous claim that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature a 12% larger camera sensor that is 1/1.14-inches in size. The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max currently feature a 1/1.28-inch sensor and no sensor size increase is expected for this year's iPhone 15 Pro Max. A larger sensor could improve the main iPhone camera's dynamic range and background blur. It could also substantially enhance low-light photography capabilities since a bigger surface area can capture more light with the same shutter speed and aperture.
In their latest post on the matter, the Weibo user did not explicitly state which devices the rumor relates to in the iPhone 16 lineup, it is believed to relate specifically to the iPhone 16 Pro Max due to their previous remarks. The same user shared similar camera information earlier this year, claiming that they had obtained industry insider information.
Popular Stories
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
In November, Apple announced that the iPhone would support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS (Rich Communication Services) in the Messages app starting "later" in 2024, and Google has now revealed a more narrow timeframe. In a since-deleted section of the revamped Google Messages web page, spotted by 9to5Google, Google said that Apple would be adopting RCS on the iPhone in the "fall...
Thieves in Montreal, Canada have been using Apple's AirTags to facilitate vehicle theft, according to a report from Vermont news sites WCAX and NBC5 (via 9to5Mac). Police officers in Burlington, Vermont have issued a warning about AirTags for drivers who recently visited Canada. Two Burlington residents found Apple AirTags in their vehicles after returning from trips to Montreal, and these...
Photos of the first iPhone 16 cases have been shared online, offering another preview of the rumored new vertical rear camera arrangement on the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. Image credit: Accessory leaker Sonny Dickson Over the last few months, Apple has been experimenting with different camera bump designs for the standard iPhone 16 models, all of which have featured a vertical ...
Apple's WWDC 2024 dates have been announced, giving us timing for the unveiling of the company's next round of major operating system updates and likely some other announcements. This week also saw some disappointing news on the iPad front, with update timing for the iPad Pro and iPad Air pushed back from previous rumors. We did hear some new tidbits about what might be coming in iOS 18 and...
A $3 third-party app can now record spatial video on iPhone 15 Pro models in a higher resolution than Apple's very own Camera app. Thanks to an update first spotted by UploadVR, Spatialify can now record spatial videos with HDR in 1080p at 60fps or in 4K at 30fps. In comparison, Apple's native Camera app is limited to recording spatial video in 1080p at 30fps. Shortly after Apple's Vision ...
Top Rated Comments