iPhone 15 Ultra: the new periscope photo sensor would be signed LG

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, also known as iPhone 15 Ultra, will be the only model from Apple in 2023 to use a periscope photo sensor, which will allow it to take advantage of a greatly improved optical zoom.

We have known for several years now that Apple will use a brand new periscope photo sensor in its high-end iPhones in 2023. Unfortunately, only one model would benefit from this novelty: the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which could be renamed iPhone 15 Ultra for the occasion.

A recent Korean supply chain report from The Elec indicates that the periscopic zoom that this year’s iPhone 15 series will use will be provided by two Korean companies, LG Innotek and Jahwa Electronics. They will replace the Japanese companies Alps Alpine and Mitsumi.

The iPhone 15 Ultra will have a size advantage in photos

The Elec announces that LG Innotek and Jahwa Electronics are expected to supply 70% and 30% of the periscopic sensors, respectively, for the iPhone 15 Ultra, which Apple will release in the second half of the year.

For those who don’t know, periscope sensors differ from traditional telephoto lenses in distorting the light using a prism, which transmits it to the image sensor. The light entering the camera lens is therefore reflected by an inclined mirror towards the image sensor. The change in direction causes light to travel longer inside the phones, allowing users to zoom in more without any blur effect.

So, rather than enjoying a zoom of only 2X or 3X, a periscope sensor thus offers 5X or even 10X optical zoom on some smartphones such as the Galaxy S22 Ultra. For the moment, we do not know exactly what Apple will opt for, but we should know more very soon. Foxconn is reportedly about to begin production of the first iPhone 15 models, so we expect to see some indiscretions on the production line between now and their release next September.

Anyway, this new report corroborates the existence of an iPhone using a periscopic sensor, since Apple has probably already placed orders with the two Korean giants. Whether this sensor will be able to compete with the best on the market in 2023, which will likely be the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra, remains to be seen.