Apple is moving forward with plans for ‘folded’ periscope cameras to dramatically increase iPhone optical zoom

Apple is advancing plans to dramatically improve the optical zoom range of the iPhone using periscope lens technology, according to AND News.

Citing industry sources familiar with the development of “iPhone” cameras, AND News The report indicates that Apple is currently researching a suitable “folded” periscope camera solution for the iPhone‌ and has already started discussions with suppliers. Apple has filed for patents relating to periscope lens systems since 2014.

Apple reportedly ran into problems developing its own periscope camera system, as much of the technology involved was protected by other patents, which led the company to consider purchasing it directly from patent holders. Specifically, “ball actuator” technology is believed to be essential to most periscope camera designs, but Samsung Electronics now has this technology.

Many multi-camera and periscope camera patents have been held by the Israeli company Corephotonics, including the design of the ball actuator, but it was acquired by Samsung in 2019. As a result, Samsung would now hold the key related patents. periscope cameras. Samsung’s periscope camera technology has enabled it to implement it in devices such as the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

A Digitimes report seen by The next web also corroborated this, saying that Apple is looking to improve the zoom capabilities of its upcoming iPhones with a periscope camera system. The report speculates that Apple is looking to Samsung to provide a periscope lens system for future iPhones, rather than developing it in-house.

Industry insiders speaking to AND News have questioned the chances of a partnership between Apple and Samsung Electronics or Samsung Electro-Mechanics in this area. Some believe that Samsung will refuse to supply Apple with periscope cameras in order to maintain a competitive advantage with its line of Galaxy smartphones.

Along with his correct prediction that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has sensor-shift stabilization technology, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year that at least one iPhone d’model will feature a telephoto periscope in 2022.

However, Kuo did not attribute this to Samsung, instead anticipating that Semco and Sunny Optical will supply the components.

Periscope lenses offer a much higher optical zoom range in a smartphone-sized housing. Optical zoom is determined by the distance between a lens and an image sensor, but there is a limit to the optical zoom range that can be increased with the current structure of the vertically stacked camera module, as it would eventually increase the l thickness of the device. A periscope lens system allows a longer stack of lenses to be placed horizontally, before reflecting the light using a mirror to face in the right direction, all without increasing the thickness of the device.

Camera technology has already made its way into some smartphones. Huawei, for example, ships the P30 Pro with true 5x optical zoom using a similar mechanism. The iPhone 12 Pro‌ Max currently offers the best optical zoom on an ‌iPhone‌, the device being able to zoom 2.5 times.