iPhone 13 Likely to Have Upgraded Ultra Wide Camera

The verification process for Chinese supplier Sunny Optical’s iPad 5P lens has reportedly gone smoothly, significantly increasing the probability of the ‌iPhone 13‌ shipping with its 7P Wide Angle lens. This would improve the Ultra Wide camera’s low light capabilities. That’s according to the latest TFI Securities note from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by MacRumors. (The information does though conflict with a report from Barclays analysts.)

Kuo expects Sunny to begin mass shipments of its ‌iPad‌ 5P lens in the middle of the first quarter of 2021, supplying Apple with around 15% of those parts due to limited initial production capacity. It is not specified in the report which ‌iPad‌ model the 5P lens is destined for, but shipment proportion for both 5P and 7P lenses is expected to further increase to between 15-20% and 25-30% in 2022. According to Kuo, Sunny Optical’s greater competition will also put pressure on Largan, which is currently fueling a price war due to its significant technological advantages over other iPhone lens suppliers.

Analyst Ming Chi Kuo Starts Looking Ahead to iPhone 13

The entire iPhone 12 range is not yet available, with the final set of pre-orders opening Friday. However, thoughts are already turning to the next generation of devices. According to a note by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, seen by MacRumors, there will be four models of the next set of devices in the same sizes as this year’s.

Specifically, Kuo says the Ultra Wide cameras on the two high-end models will be significantly upgraded to f/1.8, 6P (six-element lens) with autofocus. All the current ‌iPhone 12‌ models are equipped with f/2.4, 5P (five-element lens) Ultra Wide cameras with fixed focus. Looking further ahead, Kuo says he also expects all the new 2022 iPhones (tentatively called the ‌iPhone‌ 14 series) to be equipped with the same improved Ultra Wide camera with f/1.8, 6P and autofocus. Kuo states that Largan is likely to become the major supplier of voice coil motors (VCM) for the improved Ultra Wide cameras. It is expected that Largan will obtain about 70% of the VCM orders for the ‌iPhone 13‌ under the advantages of vertical integration of lens production and VCM, versus 50% of the ‌iPhone 12‌ series’ Ultra Wide angle lens.