Sandmarc launches iPhone telephoto lens accessory to give more zoom for your zoom
Apple iPhone 17 Pro series models can get up to 16x magnification, while iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro series users can enjoy 8x magnification.
The iPhone 17 Pro series saw compelling upgrades (yes, we said it here). That doesn’t mean we won’t want to upgrade it even further.
Partly helping Apple fanboys and users with these upgrades is Sandmarc, a US-based professional iPhone accessory maker. The company just launched a new add-on, a Telephoto Tetraprism Lens for iPhone.
Unlike their previous add-on that attaches to an iPhone’s main camera, the Telephoto Tetraprism Lens for iPhone is compatible with the Pro models’ tetraprism lenses, a rear shooter introduced since the iPhone 15 Pro series. Effectively, this Sandmarc add-on stacks its optical zoom on top of the iPhone Pro models’ optical zoom, giving you up to twice the zoom. Yes, it’s more zoom for your zoom.
Sandmarc has a few tricks up its sleeve to make the Telephoto Tetraprism Lens for iPhone a bit more appealing. The accessory uses multi-element, multi-coated glass to preserve colour accuracy, reduce flaring, and retain the phone’s detail handling.
The lens itself is rated at 48mm (35mm equivalent), and attaching it to an iPhone 17 Pro model gets it up to 16x magnification at 384mm (instead of the default 200mm at 8x optical-quality zoom).
Sample shot without the attachment (Left), compared with the attachment (Right).
For the older iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro series, the Sandmarc add-on extends the phones’ default telephoto capabilities from 5x optical zoom (120mm) to 8x magnification (240mm).
If you’re serious about having this add-on on your person, note that the lens weighs 143g, which is ~61.4% the weight of the 233g iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Also, it’s only compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Sandmarc Telephoto Tetraprism Lens for iPhone (phone not included).
The Sandmarc Telephoto Tetraprism Lens for iPhone retails at US$269.99 (~S$349.86) on Sandmarc’s official online store. Pre-orders are now open with retail availability beginning in November 2025.