Apple still wants 2023 iPhone periscope camera, just not from Samsung

Apple is again said to be planning a folding periscope lens for the 2023 iPhone range, but will now not buy from Samsung, which owns patents on the technology.

A folding periscope lens could give iPhones a substantially improved optical zoom, while not requiring a thicker casing. Samsung Electro-Mechanics owns patents on the technology, after acquiring them from Corephotonix in 2019.

However, according to The Elec, Apple is planning to exclude Samsung from its supply chain for a folded zoom camera module in 2023. The publication has previously said that Samsung will supply components to LG InnoTek to assemble for Apple.

Now, however, The Elec says that Apple is aiming to source components separately. Reportedly, Samsung's patents are getting in the way of Apple's plans, but it will either work around them, or pay a licence fee.

Apple has reportedly been investigating introducing a so-called "periscope" lens to the iPhone. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo initially expected it in 2022, but later revised that to the 2023 iPhone range.

11 Comments

rcfa 1123 comments · 17 Years

About 3 years ago

Wouldn’t Sony (as buyer of Konica-Minolta’s Camera assets) also hold a few patents?

https://m.dpreview.com/reviews/minoltadimagex

Kuyangkoh 838 comments · 7 Years

Im not a professional photographer BUT the current iphone takes photos and even movies for some artist and it looks impressive to me. I dont know what else??

mike1 3432 comments · 10 Years

Kuyangkoh said:

Im not a professional photographer BUT the current iphone takes photos and even movies for some artist and it looks impressive to me. I dont know what else??

As the article clearly states, this is to offer a much longer optical zoom capability.

michael franks 16 comments · 12 Years

I just don't get it , finally this year we see a boost in optics and megapixel ( once again without Sony chips ) then we hear they going it alone with foxcon camera lens set up to supposedly save costs . A first off for foxcon (eurk) now 2 years away a periscope set up .

Wow how many years to wait for an in screen touch id
now we all wear masks . Just because for some good damn reason we upgrade and upgrade and Apple still sit on patents and ideas and trickle tech into the phone . Come on Apple you made the first one and lead the way now your playing catch up .

Its like we cant get touch id working without paying a patient fee so we will say nah we can do it better ourselves and then oh no we can’t so lets tell people we are building a car , that might have touch id . And after its first release the upgrade might offer a periscope camera . !

I have an iphone 12 pro max but wont be upgrading for a few years now as costs are getting up there and my son who’s 12 always brags on about what his Samsung galaxy can do that i cant .

pulseimages 653 comments · 8 Years

michael franks said:

I just don't get it , finally this year we see a boost in optics and megapixel ( once again without Sony chips ) then we hear they going it alone with foxcon camera lens set up to supposedly save costs . A first off for foxcon (eurk) now 2 years away a periscope set up .
Wow how many years to wait for an in screen touch id
now we all wear masks . Just because for some good damn reason we upgrade and upgrade and Apple still sit on patents and ideas and trickle tech into the phone . Come on Apple you made the first one and lead the way now your playing catch up .
Its like we cant get touch id working without paying a patient fee so we will say nah we can do it better ourselves and then oh no we can’t so lets tell people we are building a car , that might have touch id . And after its first release the upgrade might offer a periscope camera . !
I have an iphone 12 pro max but wont be upgrading for a few years now as costs are getting up there and my son who’s 12 always brags on about what his Samsung galaxy can do that i cant .

Apple isn’t innovating with any of it’s product lines and I don’t understand why so many people on here are okay with that. Their attitude is “Switch to Samsung if you’re not happy with blah, blah, blah.” Once Steve Jobs died so did Apple’s bravado for innovation.