42 million iPhone 16 Pros are getting Tetraprism zoom cameras by LG
Samsung may be supplying the bulk of iPhone 16 series displays this year, but LG will monopolize the supply chain for Apple's unique Tetraprism folded optics zoom module. LG has become so adept at producing the optical zoom module of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, that Apple has tasked it with producing 70% of all Tetraprism cameras in the iPhone 16 line.
Since those will now go to both the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Pro, and the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Pro Max, LG will scoop the lion's share of the expensive zoom module supply on 60 million iPhone 16 Pro models, tip The Elec's supply chain sources.
One of the reasons Apple enlarged the screen size of the iPhone 16 Pro was to fit the largish Tetraprism zoom camera, and in the process it fragmented the iPhone franchise even further. The 2024 iPhone roster will be the first series with four distinct screen sizes that will help set each phone apart.
LG is apparently the only folded optics zoom maker that can produce the complex Tetraprism modules with Apple's vaunted quality and in quantities enough for more than 40 million iPhone Pros in the next year or so.
As much as Apple tries to diversify its supply chain and not rely on a single manufacturer, it is constantly introducing new features that bring it back to the monopolistic fold. The bright LTPO panels with dynamic refresh rate that the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will boast, for instance, will be made by Samsung, then LG, with everyone else a distant third.
The Tetrapism zoom camera optics can also be produced by Jahwa, but Apple will reportedly only allow it to make limited batches after the bulk of initial iPhone 16 Pro ordering has been done next quarter, to bring the cost of the component down. The 5x optical Tetraprism zoom will reportedly add a Benjamin to the iPhone 16 Pro's price, so Apple will recoup the investment.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: