Apple to add a key Galaxy S20 Ultra spec to the iPhone − but you’ll have to wait

Apple is reportedly working on a new periscope lens design to improve optical zoom. But we’re going to have to wait a while until we see it in action.

According to renowned analyst Ming Chi Kuo, a periscope camera might join the iPhone in 2022, in a move that would make a significant improvement to the device’s optical zoom capabilities. Currently the iPhone 11 Pro has a maximum 2x optical zoom or 10x digital zoom, but a periscope lens could enhance that ability to match the 5x optical zoom of the Huawei P30 Pro, or even (with the help of some digital trickery) the 10x lossless zoom of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

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This development would certainly go some way to matching Apple’s competitors, who evidently have significantly better capabilities in this respect. But there are also a few other points for Apple to catch up on, such as 5G connectivity and an enhanced display refresh rate, both of which are already offered by several Android flagships. We hope that we don’t have to wait two more years to these specifications join the range too – we’re optimistic that this year’s iPhone 12 could come packing these upgrades.

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But despite Apple seemingly lagging behind its Android competitors in these respects, we found that the iPhone 11 series still does deliver very good performance. We have been particularly impressed by the improvements made to the battery life, as well as the camera ability across the range and the display quality on the Pro versions. Cameras became significantly more versatile with this latest iPhone generation, with the Pro versions boasting three sensors; a main wide angle camera, an ultrawide lens, and a telephoto sensor. The potential for even greater zoom would make this set-up even more enviable than it is already.