In October 2021, Patently Apple posted a report titled " LG Innotek reportedly secures a deal with Apple for a future Periscope Lens for iPhone." It was reported that  LG Innotek, Apple's largest partner in the field of optics, is starting the project with Apple to install Innotek’s folded camera onto the new Apple devices in the 2022-2023 time line. It was LG Innotek that challenged the Corephotonics folded camera in a Korean court and got the patent invalidated. This opened the door for a deal to supply Apple with a periscope – zoom lens by 2023.

In a new report this morning we're learning that LG Innotek has unveiled their new folded zoom. LG Innotek will officially unveil its ultra-compact optical zoom camera module at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023.

LG Innotek won an innovation award with its camera module, a subminiature component enabling the telephoto camera function in smartphones. The latest module is the first in the world to apply the zoom lens mechanism of a mirrorless camera, enabling clearer images and video recordings without image quality degradation with a focal length of 85 - 125mm.

To ensure clear images regardless of shooting distance, LG developed a zoom actuator, a core part to move the lens for clear picture quality in all ranges between four and nine magnifications. In addition, its actuator is excellent in accuracy, speed, and durability, with less battery consumption. As demand from global customers for optical zoom is increasing, LG Innotek plans to speed up market penetration with its differentiated technology and business capabilities, said the company’s CEO Jeong Cheol-dong.

While LG Innotek will work with Qualcomm for Android phones, LG Innotek is still likely to be Apple's supplier for their iPhone 15 optical zoom module, a feature that the iPhone 14 Pro sorely lacks.

The timing of the unveiling in Vegas will be sometime between January 5-8. This all but confirms that Apple should have this feature ready for the iPhone 15 without further delays.