TF International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo released a new research note today about the hybrid glass-plastic lenses used by Apple on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and about to be used by Huawei for one of its first 2024 flagship models, the P70 Art. The iPhone 15 Pro Max uses such a hybrid lens for the Tetraprism periscope camera that delivers up to 5x optical zoom. That lens is called 1G3P which means that it is made up of one part glass, and three parts plastic.

Kuo says in his research note that the use of glass-plastic hybrid lenses will lead to some changes in the industry. Kuo sees this trend leading to the use of molding/spherical glass in these hybrid lenses rather than lower-quality wafer-level glass. The analyst also sees 1G3P lenses as becoming more competitive to the 8P lenses that are made up of eight plastic lenses. The 1G3P lenses have the advantage of being lower height and continue to get more competitive with 8P when it comes to pricing.

Speaking of pricing, the 1G3P hybrid lens used by Huawei costs $12 at the prototype stage. The analyst sees the price dropping to $6-$7 in mass production as yield rates rise. Higher yields at Largan will also allow Apple to add the Tetraprism lens to the iPhone 16 Pro next year.

The Tetraprism camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers up to 5x optical zoom

The analyst also says that glass-plastic hybrid lenses will be better able to fix lens deformation created by the design of compact camera modules (CCM). Perhaps the most important part of Kuo’s note is that he sees more high-end phones using glass-plastic hybrid lenses following the example set by Apple and Huawei. Since Apple uses the iOS platform and Huawei has its own HarmonyOS, Kuo must be talking about the adoption of this optical tech by flagship and top-shelf Android phones.

Currently “Largan and Sunny Optical are the leading manufacturers of glass-plastic hybrid lenses” according to Kuo. However, Largan has more experience in this market, and with its advantage in plastic lenses, Kuo gives the nod to Largen which he says “has a higher advantage over Sunny Optical.”