In 2023, Apple decided to make its largest and most advanced iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, stand out even more from the rest of the lineup. The new iPhone 15 Pro Max features a contoured titanium frame, a USB Type-C port, a customizable Action Button, and thinner bezels that enhance its sleek design.
The standout feature of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is its periscope lens. This new camera has a 5.0x optical zoom, or 120mm, which is a significant improvement from the previous 3.0x telephoto camera. The maximum hybrid zoom available on this phone is 25X, surpassing previous iPhones.
One of the top competitors in the market is Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra flagship. This phone boasts a versatile camera system with four cameras, including a 3.0x telephoto lens and a 10.0x long-throw periscope camera. The Galaxy S23 Ultra offers a maximum zoom of 100x, making it highly competitive.
Given the differences between the two zoom cameras and their zoom capabilities, it is inevitable to compare the periscope cameras of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The periscope camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is a 12MP camera with a 5.0x optical zoom. Apple has implemented a tetraprism, a folded glass structure below the lens, to reflect light rays four times. This design enables the longer focal length and captures more light while maintaining image quality.
Although the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a maximum zoom of 25x, it falls short compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which can reach a maximum zoom of 100x, making it the phone with the farthest zoom on the US market.
To address potential camera shake and jitters during zoomed-in photography, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s periscope lens is equipped with a new 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilization technology. This innovative feature can make up to 10,000 micro-adjustments per second, resulting in clearer and motion blur-free photos.
Moving on to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, it continues Samsung’s tradition of including a 10x optical zoom camera. Alongside the periscope lens, the Galaxy S23 Ultra also features a 3.0x telephoto camera with better low-light capabilities.
The 10x periscope camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra produces excellent results in daylight but struggles in low-light environments due to its f/4.9 aperture. It is recommended to avoid using the camera beyond the 10x optical zoom setting to maintain image quality.
Additionally, the Galaxy S23 Ultra introduces a remarkable 200MP main camera, which utilizes pixel-binning technology to combine sixteen pixels into one, resulting in photos with reduced noise and improved low-light sensitivity.
We are excited to test the new periscope camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and compare it with the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s periscope camera. Stay tuned for our comprehensive review of these flagship smartphones.
