Apple may bring the much-awaited periscopic telephoto lens feature in its iPhone 15 models that are expected to arrive in 2023.
A recent report has hinted that Apple could have made an agreement with a South Korean lens supplier to provide it with these lenses in the future.
Although the company is yet to feature this technology in its handsets, its competitors like Samsung are already offering this feature.
As per the report from The Elec, Apple has entered into an agreement with Jahwa Electronics to provide it with periscopic telephoto lenses for the iPhone 15 series.
The South Korean lens suppliers have announced that it plans to spend KRW 191 billion (roughly Rs. 1,188.9 crore) to develop a new factory in Gumi, South Korea. The company already has plants that manufacture optical image stabilisers (OIS) actuators for the Samsung Galaxy S22 series. The development of a new plant supposedly indicates that Jahwa could have acquired heavy investments as part of a new deal. The new factory is expected to start production by March 2023.
Furthermore, the report mentions that Apple had visited Jahwa's OIS production line in 2021. The Cupertino company typically asks its suppliers to build separate, dedicated production lines for its parts. The new site in Gumi would still have to be approved by Apple before production starts, which could take almost a year.
This information coincides with an earlier report that also hinted that Apple could fit its 2023 iPhone models with periscopic telephoto lenses. The company is also expected to improve the rear cameras on its 2022 models. It could even employ a unibody lens design for the selfie camera to reduce the size of the display notch.