HOW IT WORKS
YOU WILL LEARN
How periscope lenses could enhance iPhone photography
Above: This image, by Chinese hardware firm OPPO, shows how a periscope lens works in a smartphone.
KEY FACT
To get a longer-range zoom, you need to increase focal length — the distance between the lens and camera sensor. In a normal camera, you do that by making the lens move outwards — for example, by having a telescopic lens. Telescopic cameras have been tried in smartphones but they weren’t too successful.