Further rumors suggest that Apple is targeting a new type of camera module for the iPhone, a periscope lens that will allow the rear camera of Apple phones to achieve unprecedented zoom and clarity. However, it will not be included in next year's models.

Instead, this major change in the way the iPhone captures photos will likely appear in the iPhone 14, which will be released in 2022.

According to Korean website The Elec, Apple has ordered Samsung Electro-Mechanics to supply actuators and lenses for the periscope camera module. These parts would be sent to LG, which would then use them to make a "foldable" camera and supply it to Apple.

The periscope lens rumor was first reported earlier this year by TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Current cell phones sandwich lenses between each other. This is why cell phones have camera bumps. However, as cell phones become thinner and thinner, it is becoming more difficult to stack lenses on top of each other without sacrificing image quality. Due to limited hardware, the iPhone 12 Pro Max can only offer a 2.5x zoom.

The periscope module forgoes sandwiching glass, opting instead for a horizontal glass configuration. mirrors to relay images to the camera's sensors.

This video by Samsung Electro-Mechanics nicely demonstrates how this configuration works.

The iPhone 13 is not the first phone to use a periscope lens; the Huawei P40 Pro Plus included this feature and offered 10x optical zoom. YouTuber JerryRigEverything took the Huawei P30 Pro's 5x periscope lens apart, showing from the inside how everything looks in the final manufactured product.

With the excellent iPhone 12 just out, it may be difficult to even consider next year's iPhone 13, let alone a device that will appear two years later. But Apple's innovation in mobile photography is likely to continue for some time.