Both iPhone 16 Pro Models Again Rumored to Feature 5x Optical Zoom

Apple plans to expand the iPhone 15 Pro Max's tetraprism camera with up to 5x optical zoom to both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max this year, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce. This is a rumor we have heard from other sources before, including Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and our own reporting.

iPhone 16 Cameras Feature 1
TrendForce briefly mentioned this information today in a press release focused on the overall smartphone camera lens market:

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.

In the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the tetraprism camera system has a "folded" design that allows it to fit inside the smartphone, enabling up to 5x optical zoom and up to 25x digital zoom. By comparison, the smaller iPhone 15 Pro remains limited to up to 3x optical zoom, in line with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

It has been rumored that the iPhone 16 Pro will feature a larger 6.3-inch display, compared to the 6.1-inch iPhone 15 Pro. This change would increase the overall size of the device, which could provide additional internal space for a tetraprism camera.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 16 series in September.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16 Pro
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...

Top Rated Comments

jimothyGator Avatar
20 months ago
A zoom lens is one with variable focal length. It’s not one with a fixed, long focal length. It’s not three separate lenses with different focal lengths. No iPhone to date has had a zoom lens, and it doesn’t sound like the iPhone 16 will, either.

(We can quibble about “digital zoom,” but at least it’s accurate in the sense that it’s variable).
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GtrDude Avatar
20 months ago
In other news: Apple is working their way up from being 10 years behind Samsung to only being 8 years behind.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darngooddesign Avatar
20 months ago
Bleh, I would ratehr they add a fourth 5X camera than have that big gap from 2X to 5X.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Brooke795 Avatar
20 months ago

This is such a great feature, I'm going to use improved zoom whenever I take pictures of my cat from now on. I gotta see that "clueless kitty" expression in super high-definition 5x. ?
As a cat person myself I LOVE this comment!!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
soundweave Avatar
20 months ago

PEBKAC. Anyone referencing "the awful HDR" simply needs to learn how to hold the iPhone Pro still and pay proper attention to lighting.
Compare a Native RAW or even a ProRAW photo compared to a HEIF produced by the stock camera app. The HEIF forces garish sharpening, which doesn't look good on anything larger than a phone screen. All smoothness is gone. Meanwhile the RAW files can look like real camera photos, really beautiful. ('https://twitter.com/sdw/status/1760405449625788736') They look like they could be in a magazine.

It's not because of the extra file size. You can compress these ProRAWs back down into HEIF (on a mac, on iPhone it adds the post-processing back in) and they are usually a smaller size compared to the stock HEIF (presumably due to the lack of sharpening, less "detail"). I have 48MP converted-HEIFS that are smaller than 24MP stock-HEIFs due to this.

The capability is there. I wish they would let us control this sharpening/processing more with the photographic styles or something.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemilktea Avatar
20 months ago
This is such a great feature, I'm going to use improved zoom whenever I take pictures of my cat from now on. I gotta see that "clueless kitty" expression in super high-definition 5x. ?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)