The new tetra prism lens is one of the major upgrades to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, increasing optical zoom to 5x without making the phone any thicker. It is also rumored to be exclusive to the Pro Max and the only phone large enough to accommodate the new lens. But it may not last that long.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple may add a tetra prism to both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Kuo does not mention it, but he does provide some additional information as to why the tetra prism lens is only available on a single device.

According to Kuo's report in Medium, the tetraprism lens is the most significant factor in the "supply bottleneck" of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. This is something that Kuo has discussed at length before and may be part of the reason for the iPhone 15 Pro Max delays experienced by some retailers.

Supplier Largan has apparently increased production, which will result in higher prices for each tetraprism unit. In short, Apple is willing to sacrifice its own profits to get more iPhone 15 Pro Max into the hands of users.

Kuo predicts that Apple may allow lens supplier Genius to produce lenses by next year. Either way, this means that production challenges related to lenses could be alleviated by next year, and Apple will have the opportunity to add tetraprism lenses to the iPhone 16 Pro as well.

The inclusion of the lens will undoubtedly depend on other factors as well. If the tetraprism lens is too large for the current 6.1" iPhone design, then a size increase would be necessary. Rumor has it that the iPhone 16 screen will be 6.3 inches and the iPhone 16 Pro Max will grow to 6.9 inches.

The real question is whether Apple will be able to increase the magnification by this time next year; a 5x optical zoom is not bad, but there are rival models that offer a wider field of view. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example, has a 10x optical zoom, and I've heard rumors that the Galaxy S24 Ultra may have a "hybrid" lens that can change magnification with a single lens.

However, the iPhone 16 will have more than a camera. Rumors suggest that Apple may hide all Face ID sensors under the screen, leaving only one camera lens cut out of the display. It is also possible that an iPhone Ultra will be announced, but it is not clear whether this will be its own or a rebranded version of the Pro Max.

However, it is still too early to tell, and with the release of the iPhone 15 only a few days away, it will be a while before we get a clear idea of what the iPhone 16 may have in store for us. Until then, be sure to check out our iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max reviews.