What makes the exclusive 'visionary' camera on iPhone 15 Pro Max stand out?

The recent introduction of the iPhone 15 Pro Max by Apple doesn't bring many changes to the camera system compared to before, but the visionary camera lens is what garners the highest praise, why?

In the current decade, phone manufacturers are constantly competing in various aspects, alongside the race for cutting-edge technologies applied to each flagship product of their own. Apart from competing in performance, display, battery, and design, leading phone brands today also compete in camera quality, with image quality improving step by step.

Recently, a smartphone has been launched, causing a sensation globally, it's the iPhone 15 Pro Max - a product that has caused a stir with its incredible optical zoom capability on an iPhone device. The iPhone 15, 15 Plus, and 15 Pro versions are not equipped with this technology perhaps due to physical design constraints, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max has brought about a new revolution in users' photography preferences thanks to its visionary lens. So why is the new iPhone's visionary lens so important?

The first iPhone model equipped with a visionary lens

The revolutionary lens system on the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers an unprecedented optical zoom experience for users. Compared to digital zoom lenses, the optical zoom capability on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is significantly superior. Especially noteworthy is that while the iPhone 15 Pro features a 3x telephoto camera with a 77mm focal length, the iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a 5x optical zoom capability at a 120mm focal length. This means you can magnify optically up to 5 times more than the main camera of the device.

The versatility in this zoom capability opens up new creative opportunities for the artist within you. With the 120mm lens, you can capture close-ups, wildlife shots, or even distant sports in vivid detail and clarity. Apple has named the visionary lens design in the iPhone 15 Pro Max as 'creative quadrilateral design' and has integrated optical image stabilization feature combined with a 3D sensor shift autofocus module, which is considered the most advanced stabilization system from Apple.

Principle of Operation of the Periscope Lens

To understand better how the periscope lens works, we need to delve into the origins and basics of this technology. The periscope lens stems from an optical invention that has existed for centuries, from the time it was used in long-range viewing periscopes on submarines. Nowadays, people often hear the term 'periscope camera' in phone reviews or some phones integrating this technology.

The concept of potential lens is essentially a special lens system that enables optical zoom without the need to change the position of the lens. Unlike traditional optical zoom, where you have to move a lens component away from the image sensor to zoom in, potential lens tackles this issue by employing a non-standard design and aligning the lens to one side, allowing optical zoom without enlarging any part of the device.

How does the imagery produced by a potential lens look like?

Cameras utilizing potential lenses contain prisms or mirrors to reflect light at a 90-degree angle and pass it through lens components onto the image sensor, resulting in astonishing magnification. In the iPhone 15 Pro Max, the potential lens camera module comprises a prism (or corner mirror) for reflection and redirection of light sideways. The light then passes through lens components and reaches the sensor, which is positioned perpendicular to the back of the phone instead of parallel like conventional sensors.

Despite limitations and drawbacks such as spatial constraints within the device and some issues with image blur and dimness, potential lens technology is rapidly advancing to address these challenges.

The first models of smartphones equipped with potential lens cameras

The journey of periscope cameras in mobile phones has been long. In 2015, Sharp became the first smartphone brand to equip its phone with a periscope lens, but the optical zoom was only 2X, and that phone was the Sharp Aquos Crystal X.

Four years later, in 2019, Huawei made headlines by equipping the P30 Pro with a periscope lens. With a rapid development from the Chinese phone maker, the Huawei P30 Pro features a periscope lens with 5x optical zoom and up to 50x digital zoom.

However, it wasn't until October 2020 that Xiaomi introduced the Mi 10 Ultra with 5x optical zoom and digital zoom up to 120x, surpassing all smartphones equipped with optical zoom technology on the market. To this day, few smartphone brands have surpassed this number.

Next up, Samsung popularized this technology and made it more practical for users. The South Korean manufacturer first introduced a 'super zoom' phone also in 2020, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, with a 4x optical zoom system and 100x digital zoom. Samsung then continued to maintain this 100x magnification factor throughout their subsequent models. With the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the brand has achieved some success as many users immediately think of Samsung when discussing zoom capabilities on smartphones.

Many Americans are eagerly willing to take out loans to own the latest iPhone 15.

This article falls under the Market section.