Well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has revealed the potential roadmap for Apple’s iPhone camera development, projecting advancements up to 2027 with the iPhone 19 Pro.
Kuo mentioned in a recent blog post on Medium, that the upcoming updates are expected to be the most significant in the history of the mobile device, and will be meted out piecemeal as each model moves through the upgrade path.
Image Credit – Apple
The next update, expected for the iPhone 16 Pro, is rumored to feature an improved quad-reflex camera system with the tetraprism lens design, which was first introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023.
The design and construction will be shepherded by Crystal-Optek, which the analyst states is the direct beneficiary of the planned roadmap.
While this may not come as breaking news, it signals Apple’s commitment to gradually bringing the innovations of flagship iPhone designs to the lower-end models.
Image Credit – Apple
In 2025, Kuo suggests that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will showcase a completely redesigned and updated tetra prism with support for higher optical zoom ratios., along with a more powerful 1/2.6” Contact Image Sensor, providing four times the resolution at 48 MP.
It’s also mentioned that the iPhone 18 Pro in 2026 will inherit this upgrade as part of a refinement process for the next-generation iPhone 19 Pro Max.
水晶光電為iPhone四重反射稜鏡升級藍圖的領先受益者 / Crystal-Optech as a leading beneficiary in iPhone tetraprism upgrade roadmaphttps://t.co/bveXq7UJ5D
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) July 11, 2024
Kuo’s blog post further indicates that the iPhone 19 Pro Max in 2027 is slated to enhance the new tetraprism design with even higher resolution and sharpness, as well as an improved optical zoom.
He also anticipates that each year, the previous generation of upgrades will filter down to the mid-level iPhones as they become more polished and accessible.
“There are several ways to increase the optical zoom,” Kuo expands. “One of the most feasible solutions is to increase the number of prisms to lengthen the light path (in which case, it would no longer be called a tetraprism ).
As the number of prisms increases, the prism size may need to be reduced, increasing the complexity of the prism design.”
Moreover, Kuo suggests in other posts that the upcoming iPhone 17 and 16 Pro models will have slightly larger and brighter Retina and OLED displays for improved visibility in bright conditions.
Looking ahead to 2027, Kuo speculates that Apple may move away from using the term “optical tetraprism lens” and may include more, smaller prisms as they are developed.
By incorporating smaller prisms, the design can include more of them, offering better dynamic range and overall resolution in low light.
Kuo also states in his blog post that Apple is expecting an increase of market share by up to 160 percent this year, as the adoption of the Quad Reflex camera system with it’s tetra-prism design gains greater popularity.
While this is all based on speculation, Ming-Chi Kuo is often accurate in predicting Apple’s development schedule. Hence, there’s a good chance that his predictions may come to fruition.
Regardless, it’s clear that the iPhone will continue to make significant advancements in capturing images, providing content creators with better tools and higher performance.
Mobile content creators should be prepared to upgrade their mobile phones a lot over the coming years.
[source: Apple Insider]
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