Sandmarc Announces a 96mm Telephoto Lens for iPhone
Sandmarc has announced the Telephoto 96mm, an add-on lens for iPhone that mounts over the device’s built-in periscope telephoto camera and adds 4x optical magnification to it. The lens joins an existing lineup that includes a 48mm and a 72mm variant, priced at $245 and $295 respectively.
The total zoom reach produced by the combination of the Sandmarc lens and the iPhone’s native telephoto depends on the specific model. On iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro, which offer 5x periscope zoom, the result is 20x total reach, while on the iPhone 17 Pro models, whose periscope cameras offer 8x zoom through sensor cropping, the combined reach reaches 32x. The 96mm designation refers to the add-on lens’s own focal length contribution rather than the total equivalent focal length of the combined system. The optical construction uses multiple glass elements with multi-layer coatings, though Sandmarc has not published a full optical formula.
Here are some sample pictures, courtesy of Sandmarc:
Two practical requirements accompany the lens. First, it is only compatible with iPhones fitted with a dedicated Sandmarc case, which provides the mounting interface for the add-on optic. These cases are available in multiple colors from $50. Second, use of the lens requires Sandmarc’s own free camera application, Sandmarc Camera, rather than the native iPhone camera app. The application includes manual exposure controls, RAW capture, and a dedicated add-on lens panel. Both requirements — the proprietary case and the third-party app — are consistent with how Sandmarc’s existing 48mm and 72mm lenses operate and are a consequence of the mounting system and lens profile correction the company uses.
The Sandmarc Telephoto 96mm Lens is available now at $345.
