iPhone 18 Pro to Revive Feature Samsung Dropped Years Ago

[MacRumors]

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to resurrect a major feature Samsung's flagship Galaxy smartphones dropped years ago, according to a multitude of rumors.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now widely expected to feature a significantly upgraded main camera with a variable aperture. An aperture is the opening within a camera lens that controls the amount of light reaching the image sensor.

In December 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to say that that the main rear camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture. A more recent report from October 2025 said Apple was moving ahead with plans to bring the technology to next-generation iPhones and was discussing components with suppliers.

A variable aperture allows the camera to adjust the amount of light that reaches the sensor with tiny blades. This means that in dark environments, the aperture can be opened to receive more light, while in light environments, it can be closed to prevent over-exposure. It also should provide users with greater control over depth of field, which refers to how sharp a subject appears in the foreground compared to the background.

Apple has never used a variable aperture on an iPhone camera before. The main cameras on all of the iPhone 14 Pro through iPhone 17 Pro models have a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shooting with this aperture.

Samsung previously brought a variable aperture camera to its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 models in 2018 and 2019. The feature has appeared on other Android smartphones in recent years, such as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Honor Magic 7 Pro, and Huawei Mate series. Due to the way that the components increased device thickness and raised its cost, Samsung dropped the feature in 2020, even though it was more advanced than the fixed-aperture cameras it moved to.

Interestingly, Samsung is reportedly planning to follow Apple in adding a variable aperture to its smartphone cameras. Samsung apparently sees adding a variable aperture as "necessary to increase camera competitiveness," replacing software correction with physical hardware. The company hopes that in investing in variable aperture camera technology, thickness can be reduced and costs will reduce over time.

Samsung has reportedly asked multiple camera module partners to develop variable apertures and provide samples in light of Apple's plans. The feature is in early development and final installation on future Galaxy devices has not yet been confirmed, but there is said to be a "strong will" to introduce it.

Beyond a variable aperture, the iPhone 18 Pro models are rumored to feature a smaller Dynamic Island, the A20 chip, longer battery life, the C2 modem, a simplified Camera Control button, the N1 wireless chip, and more. They are expected to launch in the fall alongside the first foldable iPhone.

Article Link: iPhone 18 Pro to Revive Feature Samsung Dropped Years Ago

 

[Gloor]

Will there be any actual benefit at these sizes?

 

[winxmac]

A variable aperture is nice but adding an ND filter is way better. And also switch to a Xenon flash.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

No doubt inspired by Harry Styles' latest tune, "Aperture," which is quite good. Maybe it will come with his new album preloaded.

 

[HouseLannister]

So they are making the phone thicker and heavier with added battery, so figured they might as well add this as well since it will require a thicker plateau? I wonder how close to 9 oz that Pro Max is going to get this year.

 

[BGPL]

Being able to control the aperture is a game changer. I think Apple will do it right, giving the camera techies the option to change aperture or for the basic user it will hide the option. Oh, a UV filter would be nice too.

 

[Porco]

Apple had a variable Aperture years ago too, — only it was software that they made and supported, and then they didn't.
Variable Aperture.

Maybe that’s something they should bring back?

 

[iBluetooth]

Were the Samsung cameras substantially better with the variable aperture or didn't they implement it so well? Anyway if they dropped it, it must have been a good reason for it. So, if Samsung is bringing it back there must be a better reason that just Apple doing it!

 

[k1121j]

Well we can be sure if Apple is adding this others will be too. My uneducated guess is this part is the same off the shelf part that other Phone makers will use also.

 

[UliBaer]

A variable aperture at the miniature size of the sensors and the lenses doesn't make any sense. The depth of field is already from here to South Africa. The bokeh (face sharp and background blurred) is already artificially calculated after the photo was taken in software (Portrait mode). This is with already widest open aperture! With the now introducing variable aperture, one can only close the aperture further, thereby increasing the depth of field! The often wanted bokeh will be even more non existent with this dimensions of sensor and lenses! I don't get it... 🤔

 

[Reeneman]

You know the story:
Apple just is late and re-introduces this feature because they did wait until everything works perfect.
Will be the best iPhone camera ever made.

 

[WilliApple]

When Apple doesn't do it, we don't do it.
When Apple does do it, we do it too.

Headphone Jack, Full screen display, and now this.

 

[jarman92]

Samsung is reportedly planning to follow Apple in adding a variable aperture to its smartphone cameras.

Well I, for one, am shocked 😲

 

[Justin Cymbal]

Apple has never used a variable aperture on an iPhone camera before

I used to use Apple’s Aperture 3 on my 2015 iMac all the time. I still have that iMac and the Aperture library that I put so much time into organizing so whenever I need to use that software, I can & it still works on any intel macs

 

[CocktailHour]

Sounds great. Internal ND would be awesome too, and I would think would not be too hard.

 

[Nekronos]

Way to recycle an article that was made here a few weeks ago, modified to include our comments referencing Samsung's prior usage and why they dropped variable.

 

[routine_analyst]

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to resurrect a major feature Samsung's flagship Galaxy smartphones dropped years ago, according to a multitude of rumors.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now widely expected to feature a significantly upgraded main camera with a variable aperture. An aperture is the opening within a camera lens that controls the amount of light reaching the image sensor.

In December 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to say that that the main rear camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture. A more recent report from October 2025 said Apple was moving ahead with plans to bring the technology to next-generation iPhones and was discussing components with suppliers.

A variable aperture allows the camera to adjust the amount of light that reaches the sensor with tiny blades. This means that in dark environments, the aperture can be opened to receive more light, while in light environments, it can be closed to prevent over-exposure. It also should provide users with greater control over depth of field, which refers to how sharp a subject appears in the foreground compared to the background.

Apple has never used a variable aperture on an iPhone camera before. The main cameras on all of the iPhone 14 Pro through iPhone 17 Pro models have a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shooting with this aperture.

Samsung previously brought a variable aperture camera to its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 models in 2018 and 2019. The feature has appeared on other Android smartphones in recent years, such as the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Honor Magic 7 Pro, and Huawei Mate series. Due to the way that the components increased device thickness and raised its cost, Samsung dropped the feature in 2020, even though it was more advanced than the fixed-aperture cameras it moved to.

Interestingly, Samsung is reportedly planning to follow Apple in adding a variable aperture to its smartphone cameras. Samsung apparently sees adding a variable aperture as "necessary to increase camera competitiveness," replacing software correction with physical hardware. The company hopes that in investing in variable aperture camera technology, thickness can be reduced and costs will reduce over time.

Samsung has reportedly asked multiple camera module partners to develop variable apertures and provide samples in light of Apple's plans. The feature is in early development and final installation on future Galaxy devices has not yet been confirmed, but there is said to be a "strong will" to introduce it.

Beyond a variable aperture, the iPhone 18 Pro models are rumored to feature a smaller Dynamic Island, the A20 chip, longer battery life, the C2 modem, a simplified Camera Control button, the N1 wireless chip, and more. They are expected to launch in the fall alongside the first foldable iPhone.

Article Link: iPhone 18 Pro to Revive Feature Samsung Dropped Years Ago

I wonder how dropping a phone will have an effect on these tiny blades.

 

[agsystems]

Didn't Cook mentioned on the earning's call that Samsung was working on a 'ground' breaking sensor (i.e, 3 layer stack) for Apple? I am more interested in that -

https://twitter.com/x/status/1816057976358330824

 

[nutmac]

I think this is a step toward variable focal length lens. May be many year away but I think it’s an inevitable end game.

 

[dwsolberg]

This makes sense because these cameras are just now getting small enough to fit into a normal-sized phone.

 

[yossi]

Moving parts on an iphone? is this the first time?

 

[idrewuk]

Ah, so sheep Samsung will do an about turn and copy Apple again. What a surprise!

 

[coreyweberling]

a variable aperture is not really an upgrade. If anything they should be widening the apertures on all lenses as much as they possibly can.

 

[DrWojtek]

A variable aperture at the miniature size of the sensors and the lenses doesn't make any sense. The depth of field is already from here to South Africa. The bokeh (face sharp and background blurred) is already artificially calculated after the photo was taken in software (Portrait mode). This is with already widest open aperture! With the now introducing variable aperture, one can only close the aperture further, thereby increasing the depth of field! The often wanted bokeh will be even more non existent with this dimensions of sensor and lenses! I don't get it... 🤔

The point is that it is not tack sharp from here to South Africa, unfortunately. But it will be with this. A variable aperture will improve photos in good light settings and could improve video in good light as well.

They should also have a screw mount for ND filters on the Pro line. They could easily sell them for a good profit.

Next thing to improve would be the lenses themselves.

 

[d4cloo]

Why would you want a variable aperture on a camera with a tiny sensor? You need all the light you can get. Furthermore, there’s barely any depth of field to begin with, so going from f1.7 to f10 makes no sense.
What am I missing here?