iPhone 17 Pro Max to get 48MP tetraprism lens

Render of the iPhone 16 Pro and its camera system

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that this is the sole change, that both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will feature the tetraprism lens. It will be the same model as introduced with 2023’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.

He says that model, specifically the iPhone 17 Pro Max, will feature an upgraded tetraprism lens to improve both zoom functionality and photo quality. Where the current tetraprism lens has a 1/3.1″ 12MP Contact Image Sensor (CIS), the top 2025 iPhone will have a 1/2.6″ 48MP CIS.

While that will be in the iPhone 17 Pro Max, it’s not known whether it will also be in the iPhone 17 Pro. However, Kuo says that whether it is or not, the new tetraprism camera will be in 2026’s iPhone 18 Pro.

For 2027’s iPhone 19 Pro Max, Kuo says that the tetraprism lens will again be improved. While he has no specific details, he claims the upgrade will be a more substantial and significant one than before.

Kuo says that the iPhone 19 Pro Max will feature a still further improved optical zoom. Apple may not continue to call it a tetraprism lens, though, as one possibility is that more and smaller prisms will be used.