The iPhone 16 Pro will come with a 5x optical zoom
As one of the important aspects of the new model upgrade, the imaging system upgrade of the new iPhone every year has attracted much attention, and this year's iPhone 16 series is no exception.
Last year, for the first time, the iPhone 15 Pro Max featured a periscope lens that enables up to 5x optical zoom and 25x digital zoom, a feature exclusive to the model. Previous reports suggest that the lens will appear on smaller iPhone 16 Pro models this fall, and a new report provides further evidence.
According to the Digitimes report, industry insiders revealed that Apple will expand the use of periscope lenses in its upcoming iPhone series, with Taiwanese lens module makers Largan Precision and GSEO expected to be the main suppliers.
Dali Optoelectronics provided a periscope lens for the high-end iPhone 15 Pro Max last year, and GSEO may join as a new supplier to this year's iPhone.
The expansion of production scale and the addition of new suppliers seem to confirm one thing - the iPhone 16 Pro will upgrade from the 3x optical zoom of the 15 Pro to the 5x optical zoom that is currently exclusive to the Pro Max. This is undoubtedly good news for fans who like small flagship phones, but yearn for stronger zoom capabilities.
However, it is still unknown if the iPhone 16 Pro Max will once again have exclusive camera features. Personally, I still hope that the two Pro models can be synchronized in camera performance, so that you only need to choose the right model for you by screen size and battery life, and you don't have to consider the difference in features.
Apple develops new smart home products
In addition to HomePod and Apple TV, there is multiple evidence that Apple is currently working on a new smart home device.
According to MacRumors' discovery in Apple's back-end code, the device's identifier is "HomeAccessory17,1", which belongs to a new category of identifiers. This identifier is similar to HomePod's "AudioAccessory," suggesting that it may be an audio-related home device.
conceptual design
Most notably, the "17,1" after the identifier indicates that the device will most likely be powered by Apple's upcoming A18 chip. The A18 chip is expected to be available in four iPhone 16 models in the fall. With the A18 chip, it's no surprise that this smart home device supports Apple's Apple Intelligence feature.
The code also shows that the "home accessory" will run a software variant of tvOS, which MacRumors found earlier this year as evidence that Apple is developing homeOS, most likely the device's firmware.
In addition, two unreleased Apple TV models are mentioned in the code with the identifiers AppleTV14,4 and AppleTV14,5. Previously, it was rumored that the new Apple TV could launch in 2024.
Apple is expected to release new iPhones, iPads, and possibly other products in September. What kind of product do you think this mysterious smart home device will be? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area to discuss!