The iPhone 12's camera is likely to be improved, but those expecting a more powerful zoom may be in for a long, long wait. And this new report gives Samsung phones like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra the edge.

In a new note to investors (via AppleInsider), analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the periscope telephoto camera will first appear on the 2022 iPhone. However, the iPhone 12 has a welcome camera upgrade.

The veteran Apple analyst had predicted in March that the 2022 iPhone would include a periscope camera, and now we have more details. The report names South Korea's Semco and China's Sunny Optical as two companies with which Apple is making arrangements.

Apple will reportedly use these components to develop the iPhone's camera later this year and into 2021. Semco will then become a major provider of periscope technology in 2022, along with suppliers Lagan, Alps, and Minebea.

Periscope lenses allow cell phone manufacturers to give their phones impressive optical zoom magnification. By using mirrors and prisms to increase the distance that light travels between the phone's sensor and the outside world, more lenses can be used to increase the zoom without compromising resolution.

For comparison, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max offer only 2x optical zoom. Previous rumors suggested that the iPhone 12 Pro line would increase optical zoom to 3x, but this report does not mention the zoom range of this year's models. compared to the 5x optical zoom expected on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, on paper it looks much worse. Looks.

What the iPhone 12 should have is an improved 7-segment lens array on the main camera and a new "ball-shaped" voice coil motor (VCM) The VCM was previously a spring-based design.

In short, these upgrades should mean improved autofocus and image stabilization for the camera, and improved magnification and reduced distortion of images taken with the iPhone 12.

In addition to these camera changes, the iPhone 12 is rumored to feature the powerful A14 Bionic chip, 5G support, and OLED displays on all four models from 5.4" to 6.7". The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max should also have a 120 Hz display refresh rate and a new LiDAR depth sensor added to the rear camera block.