iPhone 15 rumor just gave me a big reason to skip iPhone 14

iPhone 14 Pro concept render — (Image credit: Technizo Concept/Let's Go Digital)

Update (July 14): This rumored periscope camera may now only be for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with the regular Pro only getting it a year after.

The possibility of an iPhone 14 periscope telephoto camera is slipping away according to the latest rumors, but if you're prepared to wait a year for the iPhone 15, you may finally be able to get the zoom power you're after.

Apple is believed to have made a deal with a new parts supplier to provide periscope camera parts for the iPhone 15 and beyond, according to The Elec. Korean company Jahwa Electronics has announced it was investing around $155 million into opening new facilities to build optical image stabilization (OIS) actuators, the part of the camera that keeps the lens steady to limit shaking in images and video.

ased on the fact that Apple paid the company a visit last year, the size of the investment and Apple's usual insistence on exclusive facilities for its components, The Elec reports that it's a strong possibility that this investment is being made for parts for iPhones.

You can see Jahwa's OIS parts already at work in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 series. However, Apple already uses OIS on its main cameras, so if it is indeed placing a huge order for more actuators, then something big must be changing, which leads us to the persistent rumor of Apple working on a periscope telephoto camera for the iPhone.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max already have regular telephoto cameras with a 3x optical zoom. Moving to a periscope telephoto camera, however, would allow increased magnification, such as the 10x zoom you get on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

This process is allegedly just beginning though and could take up to a year to finish (March 2023 according to The Elec). That would mean no chance of the iPhone 14 benefitting from these new components, but the iPhone 15 certainly could. We've heard multiple analysts say the 2023 iPhone will be Apple's first with a periscope telephoto camera, based on other supply chain partners Apple seems to be gathering. However, unlike the S22 Ultra, the magnification may top out at 5x zoom.

In the interim, though, we've got the iPhone 14 series to look forward to. The biggest camera change this time is thought to be the introduction of a 48MP main camera sensor for the Pro models, while other updates will come in the form of a pill and punch-hole notch for the two Pro models and possible emergency satellite connectivity.

We'll know more about what the new iPhone features — and what's missing — come this fall. But in the meantime check out our iPhone 14 hub and iPhone 14 Pro hub for all the latest rumors and leaks.

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Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.