Why the iPhone 16 Professional’s periscope digicam rumor makes me fear

The iPhone 15 isn’t even out, and we have already got numerous iPhone 16 rumors. The newest leak comes from well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who often supplies correct particulars about Apple’s unreleased gadgets. In keeping with him, the iPhone 16 Professional will get a periscope zoom digicam, a function unique to the iPhone 15 Professional Max this 12 months.
The telephoto improve looks as if terrific information, particularly should you use zoom on the iPhone and may benefit from improved optical zoom {that a} periscope lens may provide. However there’s additionally an enormous disadvantage to this, no less than for me. Apple may enhance the scale of the iPhone 16 Professional to make room for that telephoto lens.
Kuo dropped the information on Medium in a publish assessing the influence of Apple’s digicam orders on the availability change. That’s the place he famous that the iPhone 16 Professional will likely be barely bigger than the iPhone 15 Professional:
The show dimension of the iPhone 16 Professional will likely be barely bigger than the iPhone 14/15 Professional’s 6.1 “, permitting the 16 Professional to equip with a periscope digicam because of bigger inside area. It’s anticipated that iPhone 16 Professional Max and Professional may have periscopes (vs. solely Professional Max among the many 15 sequence). Cowell will probably be the [Compact Camera Module (CCM)] provider for the iPhone 16 periscope in 2024.
Current rumors stated the iPhone 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max may have 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screens, respectively. On the time, I assumed the 0.2-inch enhance would outcome from Apple’s additional shrinking the bezels.
However Kuo’s replace above implies the entire iPhone 16 Professional is getting barely bigger. And Apple isn’t doing it for the sake of enlarging the display screen. However to extend inside area for the periscope digicam.
We already know from a extra distant report that LG developed smaller periscope lenses for cell phones. I speculated that Apple would use these parts in iPhones as a result of they’re compact. That’s as a result of Apple needs to optimize inside area use to supply the very best battery capability.
There’s another excuse to extend the general dimension of iPhone 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max telephones. Apple will finally drop the bodily buttons, and the solid-state replacements will want new Taptic Engines. These will take up area contained in the telephone. And, once more, Apple wants the iPhone to supply nice battery life.
That stated, I’m not a giant fan of the iPhone rising in dimension. The iPhone 14 Professional is already too massive and heavy for my style. You get used to it, positive. However I used to be near getting an iPhone 13 mini earlier than the iPhone 14 launch due to its dimension.
I’m not inclined to improve to iPhone 15 this 12 months. And I’ve already stated that iPhone has reached some extent the place I don’t essentially really feel the necessity to go Professional. Subsequently, I may all the time go for the iPhone 16 ought to I desire a new iPhone in 2024. The handset would nonetheless function a 6.1-inch display screen.
Watching Apple all these years, I realized that Apple tries to deliver as many Professional options to common fashions within the years after these options are launched. I’d anticipate the complete iPhone lineup to return in 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes, beginning with iPhone 17 or later.
That is all hypothesis, based mostly on a rumor detailing unconfirmed Apple plans for a distant iPhone. Apple has loads of time to determine methods to make any iPhone dimension will increase much less noticeable.