Beyond Korea: iPhone 16 Pro Max Seeks 10x Zoom Through Chinese Lens

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is Apple’s first flagship device to feature a 5x optical zoom lens. As reported by South Korea’s media outlet kr.investing, Apple plans to enhance the zoom capabilities of future iPhone models by equipping them with a 10x optical zoom lens. Intriguingly, the supplier of this component will be a Chinese manufacturer, marking a shift away from LG Innotek.

LG Innotek, one of the lens suppliers for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, has been reportedly removed from Apple’s list of suppliers for the 10x optical zoom lens, according to kr.investing. Luxshare Precision Industry Co., Ltd., a Chinese firm, is set to provide the 10x optical zoom lenses for Apple’s future iPhone models. Chi-ho Han, a senior expert at NBNtv, predicts that LG Innotek will continue to supply 5x zoom mechanisms to Apple next year, indicating a remaining 12-month collaboration period with Apple. However, beyond this timeframe, further cooperative opportunities seem unlikely. Wccftech speculates that this development might stem from LG Innotek’s disagreement with Apple’s pricing terms and an inability to meet Apple’s quality and quantity demands. Nevertheless, rumors suggest that LG Innotek is also one of the suppliers testing under-display camera technology for Apple, aiding in the development of future iPhone models with full-screen displays.

Apple’s supply chain policy has traditionally involved retaining multiple suppliers for a specific component, aiming to achieve better cost and quality control.

The kr.investing article does not specify which future generation of iPhone models will feature the upgraded zoom capabilities. However, it is unlikely to be the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, as these flagship models are rumored to be shipped with an upgraded version of the 5x optical zoom lens, with the new lens costing more than the component in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.