The iPhone 15 Pro Max is not expected to be released until next September, but Apple has already started producing some models for internal testing. We already know who supplied them with the periscope sensors, and at what price in particular.
One of the main new features of the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be the new periscope lens on the back, which “bends” light for greater magnification, unlike the traditional simple telephoto lens. This technology has been used for many years now on Android smartphones, and it will finally be necessary to wait until the end of 2023 before seeing Apple use it on its high-end smartphones.
We also mention that only the Pro Max model will benefit from it, and the Pro model will likely be too small to accommodate this huge sensor. The periscope sensor was expected to come from LG, but Apple chose another Taiwanese supplier: Largan.
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The periscope image sensor costs only $4 from Apple
According to a new report, Apple is paying supplier Largan just $4 for the lenses, an amount that leaves the supplier with no profit margin. As usual, the American giant is embarking on very tough negotiations with its suppliers to reduce the cost of producing its iPhones as much as possible, which allows it to increase its margins.
By selling the periscope sensor for $4, compared to about $5 for other smartphone manufacturers, Largan won’t be able to turn a profit on this contract. However, this agreement will mainly benefit the company’s image, which will then provide a key component for one of the best-selling smartphones over the next year. As a reminder, Counterpoint revealed the 10 most popular smartphones for 2022 a few weeks ago, and among them, there were no less than 8 different iPhone models.
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Going forward, Q believes that both iPhone 16 Pro models in 2024 will use the same or similar periscope lens used in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with Apple continuing its trend of differentiating between the standard and Pro models by retaining some of the higher-end hardware features for the latter.