One of the coolest new iPhone 15 Pro features is only coming to one model

(Image credit: TheRegisti / Unsplash)

The next iPhone in the Pro Max range again looks set to have its own exclusive lens, according to another Twitter leaker.

URedditor has tweeted over the weekend, 'confirming' that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is definitely getting a new Periscope lens to help differentiate itself from the rest of the iPhone 15 line, ahead of its rumored launch in the fall.

A Periscope lens in an iPhone has been rumored for years, and could allow optical zoom of up to 5x or even 6x with almost none of the artifacts that you usually see on an iPhone today.

But it also has benefits in how it absorbs light to take a photo. Here, it reflects the light 90 degrees through the lens and straight onto the sensor, so the camera system itself doesn't need to be thicker to accommodate any bigger upgrades.

This could help transform how close-up images are taken on an iPhone, but it's still a shame that this will be limited to the highest tier of iPhone 15.

Opening up the scope

Finally received independent confirmation of this:Periscope lens will be available exclusively on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.May 8, 2023

Having an exclusive camera feature on an iPhone is nothing new. Portrait Mode, which allows the lens to blur the background, first arrived in beta with the iPhone 7 Plus back in 2016 for example.

But this will be the first time that a new lens will not only arrive on a new iPhone, but will introduce features that could improve how you take photos when zoomed in.

Granted, there are already Android phones that have a Periscope Lens, such as the Huawei P40 Pro, with its 10x Optical Zoom. So it's already available on other devices, but, as is Apple's mantra, a new feature from the company usually arrives once others have done it themselves.

But for an important feature such as this, I think it should arrive on the iPhone 15 Pro, as well as the Pro Max later this year. The word 'Pro' brings a lot of connotations to a product - it gives the impression of a more elegantly-designed product with exclusive features.

So to have a Pro iPhone not have something as huge as a Periscope Lens, would be a shame, especially for those who don't want to carry a device with a huge 6.7‑inch display.

However, this is still a rumor, even though it's been 'confirmed' by multiple leakers by now. But there's still some hope that this Lens arrives on both Pro iPhones later this year, not just the one.

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use everyday to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64 and Daily Star.