Thanks to rumors, we pretty much already know everything there is to know about Apple’s upcoming iPhone — and one of the biggest changes that we’ll see this year is the addition of a periscope lens to the back of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

A very popular analyst named Ming-Chi Kuo already suspects that this feature alone will make the iPhone 15 Pro Max the most popular model in the whole lineup. Here’s what you need to know.

What’s the New Periscope Lens?

You’ve probably already heard about periscope lenses in smartphones before. This lens allows smartphone cameras to have a more powerful optical zoom. 

For instance, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra already features this lens and allows 10x optical zoom that powers a “Super Resolution” 100X digital zoom — which is crazy to think about.

Because of how useful this feature is, many iPhone lovers have wondered when Apple will add a periscope camera to the iPhone. 

Well, Apple finally listened, and it’ll finally feature a periscope camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Rumor has it that Apple will use this lens to offer a 6x optical zoom on the highest-end model.

That means that if you want the periscope camera, you’ll need to spend a lot of money. But that won’t be a problem according to Kuo, who claims this feature will make the iPhone 15 Pro Max the best-selling iPhone of the bunch.

Kuo: “Periscope Is iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Biggest Selling Point”

In a recent post on Medium (via 9to5Mac), Kuo claims that “Apple is optimistic about the selling point of the periscope, which is only available in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.”

According to Kuo, who’s well-known for his analysis and accurate leaks, Apple is betting heavily on the periscope lens and it believes this will be the biggest reason why people will choose the iPhone 15 Pro Max this time around, predicting that the most expensive model will account for 35–40% of iPhone 15 series shipments — the largest share.

This means Apple believes there will be a heavy demand for its most expensive iPhone, and it’s getting ready with the necessary supply. According to Kuo, Apple also increased the shipments for the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year by 10% compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Apple might be doing something since there are a lot of people online commenting that they’ll go for the most expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max because of the periscope lens. 

History Repeats Itself

This analysis isn’t that far off from what will possibly happen. After all, it seems every person in the US is looking to get an iPhone.

We’ve seen how, in previous years, Apple has been at the top of the best-selling smartphones in the US. In both 2022 and 2023, the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max, respectively, took the crown as the best-selling smartphone.

It seems 2024 won’t be any different. Even if Apple didn’t add the periscope lens to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it would probably still be the best-selling phone in any part of the world.

With that said, if you’re thinking of getting the iPhone 15 Pro Max this year, you should know this will also be Apple’s most expensive iPhone yet.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max Will Be More Expensive Than Previous Models

Another rumor that’s been going around in the last few months is that Apple plans to increase the prices of the iPhone Pro models in 2023. 

Unfortunately, if the rumors are accurate, the iPhone 15 Pro will cost $100 more, starting at $1,099 this year, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max might cost $200 more this time around, starting at $1,299 for the base model, possibly up to $1,799 or more for the most expensive version. 

What Else Can You Expect From the iPhone 15 Pro Max?

Besides the new periscope lens, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is said to feature a new Action button to replace the ring/silent switch on the side, the new A17 Bionic chip, and a USB-C port instead of Lightning. 

Apple has already announced its new event, so we’re expecting to see the new iPhone 15 lineup on September 12.

Apple Will Continue to Dominate the Market

Whether you like it or not, it seems the rest of 2023 and 2024 will be dominated by Apple in the smartphone market. Thanks to its popularity, sense of exclusivity, and now the periscope lens, you can expect most of us will go for the more expensive iPhone 15 Pro Max this year.