The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are the best camera phones based on our tests, but they are inferior to Samsung's flagship in one key area: zoom.

According to new rumors, Apple is preparing to include a "folding" periscope camera in the iPhone 13. This means that the quality of zoom photos could explode from now on.

The rumor comes from sources speaking to Korean website ETNews. Apparently, Apple is currently looking for a "folding camera" supplier to boost the power of its existing optical zoom lens.

Folding cameras effectively use a periscope-like structure to refract light through a prism to a horizontally stacked lens and image sensor. Normal zoom lenses tend to stack lenses and image sensors vertically. The use of a foldable lens also reduces the bulge in the rear camera.

Large companies like Huawei and Samsung have used periscope-like designs to increase optical zoom capability, but it is not a new idea, as it does not increase the size of the phone.

Currently, optical zoom on Apple phones is only available on the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max, which offer 2x and 2.5x optical zoom, respectively. By enhancing the optical zoom feature, Apple can significantly improve the quality of photos by increasing the magnification without having to magnify a static digital image as with digital zoom.

Zoom is also something Apple is beginning to lag behind. The Samsung Galaxy S20 and Galaxy 20 Ultra offer 3x and 4x optical zoom, respectively, and current rumors suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra will feature an additional telephoto lens with 10x optical zoom. In other words, Apple needs to address this issue now if it wants to maintain its position as the leader in smartphone photography.

Optical zoom magnification is not the only way to improve zoomed photos; the Super Res Zoom on the Google Pixel 3 has already shown that post-capture image processing can produce great effects in magnified photos, especially when combined with a telephoto lens.

Of course, optical zoom comes with its own problems. Anyone who has a Galaxy S20 or Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will know that the farther you zoom, the harder it is to keep everything steady.

The only question is which iPhone 13 models will have this new lens. iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max already have telephoto lenses, which seems a no-brainer since they are primarily marketed for their photography capabilities. But will the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have it, and according to ETNews, Apple is working to add a third lens to the base model.