Apple Testing Two Major iPhone 18 Pro Camera Upgrades

[whelmedjedi]

Finally getting rid of the bump? If not, its not so major. Im even okay with extra battery and thicker iphone to not to have those bumps..

 

[allenvanhellen]

A variable aperture won’t change the current sensor performance, it won’t be a substantial change. Apple should bring a bigger sensor 1/1.14 or 1-inch type, any other thing won’t be as good as a bigger sensor.

It’s incredibly bad that the telephoto sensor of the Vivo X300 Pro is almost as big as the primary sensor of the flagship 2026 iPhone.

If the aperture can close enough, it might make videos smoother. In bright light, the shutter speed is faster than the frame rate, making motion jittery. I think it would be better if Apple could get a built-in and switchable ND filter, like some compact mirrorless cameras have.

 

[kenta_]

Variable aperture is such a waste of time and effort. Never have I experienced over exposed photo due to too large of aperture. Apple should learn from Samsung on this one.

Variable zoom on the other hand would be useful and innovative.

 

[capamac]

Variable zoom on the other hand would be useful and innovative.

Superzooms are out there; just not in phones:
28-400mm 14.2x optical zoom lens:

Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR | Mirrorless Lenses | Nikon USA

The NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens packs all-in-one convenience and super-telephoto reach into a lightweight package, with VR image stabilization and a minimum focus distance of 7.8 inches.

www.nikonusa.com

125x optical zoom on this one, 24-3,000mm equivalent:

Nikon COOLPIX P1100 | Point & Shoot Cameras | Nikon USA

The COOLPIX P1100 features a 125X optical zoom lens with VR image stabilization for sharp photos and video, easy-to-use Scene modes, SnapBridge compatibility and much more.

www.nikonusa.com

Phones would have to be many times larger to accommodate lenses like those.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

Here's my suggestion for a major improvement: Get rid of the camera warts on all iPads and iPhones!

 

[Parowdy]

It seems very late in the production cycle to still be testing these new cameras.

Right? I’m also pretty sure whoever wrote this knew they were fabricating a clickbait headline, as the first paragraph makes no mention of the iPhone 18, because that’s not what the leaker was reporting on either.

 

[Parowdy]

I’m guessing production-ready prototypes exist with and without the new features and Apple is zeroing in on which one to release to manufacturing.

I doubt manufacturing is simply waiting on them to decide… after all, whatever route you go, you have to optimize and gear up for it. Apple may source some serial parts, but most things in an iPhone are custom spec no manufacturer can just wait for and then produce out of the blue, especially not something like a variable aperture smartphone camera. I’m certain whatever will be released in September is already fully designed and the only things to work out are basically who manufactures what and how much of it, and not what will be manufactured and how.

 

[Zenman12]

Production starts in August.

Manufacturing has to be ready way before that. Not including test runs.

 

[citysnaps]

While your statement is correct, the vast majority of iPhone users have no idea what RAW is and certainly do not use Lightroom.
And if you use the default camera settings, there's a ton of processing, over processing that seemingly a lot of people like but some don't.

Lightroom isn't needed. Apple's Photos app (on Mac, iPhone, and iPad) handles Apple RAW files just fine, and offers a great amount of adjustments/flexibility, and produces excellent results.

No, it's not as deep and robust in features as Lightroom, but for the average iPhone shooter that's not deep into photography it'll be just fine (and is included in MacOS/iOS/iPadOS) and is easy to learn.

Regarding over processing shooting jpg on iPhones... I haven't found that to be the case. And have found a decent amount of flexibility using the Apple's Photos app fine for editing for casual shooting. Though I always shoot RAW on my iPhone knowing that images I care about and print or publish will be processed in Lightroom.

 

[L92]

I just hope I can disable variable aperture in the default camera otherwise I won’t buy an iPhone anymore. This is the most moronic feature to implement into a phone with a tiny a.. sensor. Like, yes Apple I’d like to have less light please.

 

[cdsapplefan]

I doubt manufacturing is simply waiting on them to decide… after all, whatever route you go, you have to optimize and gear up for it. Apple may source some serial parts, but most things in an iPhone are custom spec no manufacturer can just wait for and then produce out of the blue, especially not something like a variable aperture smartphone camera. I’m certain whatever will be released in September is already fully designed and the only things to work out are basically who manufactures what and how much of it, and not what will be manufactured and how.

There probably testing these new camera features for next year’s iPhone Fall 2027 release.

 

[cdsapplefan]

Manufacturing has to be ready way before that. Not including test runs.

These test runs on the camera are for the fall 2027 iPhone probably.

 

[kenta_]

Superzooms are out there; just not in phones:
28-400mm 14.2x optical zoom lens:

Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR | Mirrorless Lenses | Nikon USA

The NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR lens packs all-in-one convenience and super-telephoto reach into a lightweight package, with VR image stabilization and a minimum focus distance of 7.8 inches.

www.nikonusa.com

125x optical zoom on this one, 24-3,000mm equivalent:

Nikon COOLPIX P1100 | Point & Shoot Cameras | Nikon USA

The COOLPIX P1100 features a 125X optical zoom lens with VR image stabilization for sharp photos and video, easy-to-use Scene modes, SnapBridge compatibility and much more.

www.nikonusa.com

Phones would have to be many times larger to accommodate lenses like those.

Sorry to disappoint you. Several phones currently have continously variable optical zoom, including Sony Xperia 1 IV. Do your homework before spouting off.

 

[svish]

Always nice to have camera improvements. Better low light performance while using the telephoto lens will be great. Variable aperture too will be good but maybe sensor size will have to be a bit bigger.

 

[rymc02]

Problem with 1" format sensor is that is a large sensor, for a phone. That would mean a thicker phone and a camera lens that sticks out more.

For a pro camera like Canon or Nikon where APS-C and 36x24mm formats are standard, 1" format is very small.

View attachment 2602763

 

[rymc02]

If the aperture can close enough, it might make videos smoother. In bright light, the shutter speed is faster than the frame rate, making motion jittery. I think it would be better if Apple could get a built-in and switchable ND filter, like some compact mirrorless cameras have.

 

[johannnn]

It seems very late in the production cycle to still be testing these new cameras.

100% agree. I think this will be a iPhone 19 Pro feature.

 

[ChrisMac47]

A variable aperture can easily make the aperture *smaller*.

But it cannot make the lens opening larger. You'd need a wider, bigger, heavier lens to achieve this. Which means a bigger camera hump on the phone.

So unless Apple wants to make the camera hump bigger, their only option is to add aperture blades that make the current lens have a _smaller_ aperture. Which means less light. And these tiny iphone sensors already struggle at f/1.7 or whatever. So making it smaller doesn't achieve much of anything.

The depth of field on a f/1.7 iphone lens is already more or less like f/11 on an 36x24mm format sensor, thus there's little need to have a smaller aperture. You could get a couple stops more depth of field, perhaps. Along with the option for a couple stops slower shutter speed in bright light. But the downside to a smaller aperture is increased diffraction, which reduces sharpness.

Plus having an adjustable aperture would increase mechanical complexity of the lens design, add a smidge of weight, probably also increase the cost by a few pennies per camera unit, and increase the liklihood of the camera malfunctioning were the aperture to jam.

I am mystified why a variable aperture is desirable. A smaller aperture increases the depth of field ... but this is already very large for the short focal lengths of phone-cameras, so much so that SW solutions have been invented for REDUCING the depth of field (to differentiate the sharp subject from a blurred background for example).

A possible benefit is that a smaller aperture reduces the effect of lens aberrations on the image, making the image sharper, particularly at the edges. Phone camera lenses are pretty excellent already, almost diffraction-limited, but possibly reducing the aperture from f/1.7 to say f/3.4 might give slighter sharper images, albeit with a 4X reduction in light and thus increased noise. Any further reduction, e.g. to f/6.8 would definitely give softer (less sharp) images due to diffraction.

 

[ChrisMac47]

Here's my suggestion for a major improvement: Get rid of the camera warts on all iPads and iPhones!

The problem is that smaller cameras give lower image quality.

As someone else remarked, that does not necessarily mean "bad photos", because a photo depends on the photographer, subject, lighting and lots of other things.

However, at some point the technical image quality does matter. The fact that Apple ... design-conscious Apple of all companies .... still retains the horrible camera warts indicates that they are not prepared to release cameras on the latest iPhone that actually give worse image quality than the previous generation.

I personally agree that they could eliminate the warts on at least one model, and accept reduced technical image quality, but then I have a 12mini so I'm clearly an outlier!

 

[ThomasJL]

Steve Jobs would've never allowed a camera bump. Yes, it's true that even a bigger bump than what we have now would allows for better photo quality. In fact, if the bump were the same size as a full-frame DSLR camera, then the photo quality would be as good as a full-frame DSLR camera. My point is that better photo quality isn't a great reason to have a photo bump because at what point does a camera bump become too big?

 

[RadMac]

Always good to see camera improvements.

 

[TracerAnalog]

Here's my suggestion for a major improvement: Get rid of the camera warts on all iPads and iPhones!

I don't care. Those bumps are functional, and I prefer function over form if a choice has to be made. If ever the tech allows for a seamless and maybe even invisible camera, at an affordable price, Apple and other brands will surely jump on it...

 

[IIGS User]

Look, a camera on a phone will never be in a league with a camera dedicated to the task of just taking photos. This is a classic "Jack of all trades" limitation that dogs anything that tries to be anything.

That being said, I'm carrying my phone just about everywhere. I also don't have the money for a "real" camera that takes genuinely good photos. So any improvement to the camera in my phone is going to be an improvement to the majority of the pictures I take simply because I always have my phone with me.

I am a very very amateur photographer. I like taking pictures when I'm on vacation or when I see something particularly beautiful. I have several friends who are photographers on a much higher level than I am. But, it has been my experience that being able to see what will make a good photograph and being willing to get the shot is a pretty big piece of the puzzle. You can give someone all the high end kid in the world and if they don't have a good eye and good perspective, all you're going to get is technically excellent pictures of crap. There's an emotional element to talking good pictures.

This probably sounds stupid to people who are really into photography.

These upgrades to the camera and the other rumors I've heard (better screen, etc) make me glad I skipped the 17PM and I will be looking forward to the 18.

 

[Parowdy]

Steve Jobs would've never allowed a camera bump. Yes, it's true that even a bigger bump than what we have now would allows for better photo quality. In fact, if the bump were the same size as a full-frame dslr camera, then the photo quality would be as good as a full-frame dslr camera. My point is that better photo quality isn't a great reason to have a photo bump because at what point does a camera bump become too big?

Jobs this Jobs that. He is dead.
Yes we all wish he wasn’t but he is. And it’s a very big claim to say Jobs would have never allowed a camera bump. How do you know that?
Why would anyone at Apple be seriously against a camera bump in the first place, if that kind of mindset holds back the iPhone camera quality for subjective „esthetics“.
I have taken many photos over the years that would not have looked nearly as good, or true to life, if the camera in the iPhones wasn’t what it is, and how it is.
If it want a phone without a protruding camera, get one. I for one am happy that I have such a small and relatively capable camera attached to the backside of the metal and glass slab in my pocket, instead of one that is only half as useful, but doesn’t stick out, which doesn’t even matter when using a case.

 

[switz]

My Leica V-Lux (Typ 114) I purchased new (under $1,500) in 2019 has a F2.8-4.0 25 to 400 mm lens. It was announced 14 September 2014. I took thousands of photos with it on a nine week photo trip through seven Southern Africa countries. I also took photos with my iPhone 8 Plus and a Canon D20. It recently had a tune-up and cleaning at the Leica service center in New Jersey. This is my preferred choice if only one actual camera can go on a trip.

Unfortunately, Leica has gone on and does not offer comparable model in 2026.

The current top iPhone model with maximum memory historically goes along as well. There is now software out that converts the iPhone to making Leica quality images along with a grip and shutter system.

My Leica Q4 43 is a fixed lens camera that takes great shots given the constraint of only one lens.

I recently acquired a little brother Leica D-Lux 8 that has the same menu systems my Leica M-11 (six prime lens system) plus a zoom lens (F1.7-2.8 24-75mm). The small size sensor limits images to about 17MP.