iPhone 18 Pro's Major Camera Upgrade to Be Variable Aperture

[MacRumors]

Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models will feature a significantly upgraded rear camera with a variable aperture, ETNews reports.

The Korean-language report claims that only the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature the camera, which will replace the main wide-angle camera on the rear, sitting alongside the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras.

A variable aperture allows the camera to adjust the amount of light that reaches the sensor. 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 is now moving ahead with plans to bring the technology to next-generation iPhones and is now discussing components with suppliers. The variable camera is reportedly set to be made by LG Innotech and Foxconn, while the actuator is to be manufactured by Chinese companies Luxshare ICT and Sunny Optical.

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 Electronics previously brought a variable aperture camera to its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 models in 2018 and 2019, but due to increased thickness and high price, it dropped the feature in 2020.

The report corroborates a rumor from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared in December last year. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to be announced alongside the iPhone Air 2 and Apple's first foldable iPhone in the fall of 2026.

Article Link: iPhone 18 Pro's Major Camera Upgrade to Be Variable Aperture

 

[Justin Cymbal]

The Korean-language report claims that only the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature the camera, which will replace the main wide-angle camera on the rear, sitting alongside the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras

At least BOTH the pro AND the Pro Max will have the latest camera features (for next year’s flagship iPhones)

Exactly what Apple reverted to (starting with the iPhone 16 Pro series) after having limited the better camera features exclusively to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and NOT the regular 15 Pro

 

[Kylo83]

We need a bigger sensor that’s it, we need a 1inc sensor

 

[Apple-achian]

At least BOTH the pro AND the Pro Max will have the latest camera features (for next year’s flagship iPhones)

Exactly what Apple reverted to (starting with the iPhone 16 Pro series) after having limited the better camera features exclusively to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and NOT the regular 15 Pro

You want the feature then pony up the cash. Apple doesn't owe you the R&D time and money because you like a smaller phone.

 

[Apple-achian]

We need a bigger sensor that’s it, we need a 1inc sensor

Apple's processing is superior. I'd rather they incorporate more AI in image processing than just copy the droid philsophy of 'MOAR SENSOR'.

 

[Wrylachlan2]

i think there’s more to it. Apple seems pretty happy with algorithmic boke. So a variable aperture just to allow for optical boke seems like a waste. But the other thing that a variable aperture helps with is preventing blow out in sunny conditions. That’s really not a problem with current sensors as they’re just not sensitive enough for that to bean issue. But if Apple were improving the sensors to make them much more sensitive (for improved low light performance) they’d need variable aperture to keep them from blowing out on sunny days.

So my pet theory is that this is really about low light performance.

 

[maddogeco]

Does anyone use the wide angle lens? Id much rather a tele lens over the wide angle. I have the iPhone 16 and I have to pinch and zoom far more often than use the wide angle lens.

 

[Sezel]

I think inbuilt ND filter is more important than variable aperture because for a smartphone f/1.7 is still not enough wide when paired with that tiny sensor.

Or they can try to place single large 1-inch sensor in the center and use manually rotating lenses (like a fidget spinner but with magnetic locking) for ultrawide, wide and telephoto. That way a single high quality sensor will be used for all focal length.

 

[hunter_a]

Yawn, gimme 18 Mini.

 

[freezelighter]

Just give us 18 Mini.

 

[DCJSealer]

You want the feature then pony up the cash. Apple doesn't owe you the R&D time and money because you like a smaller phone.

it's not about the cash, the size is the problem.
And the suffix MAX should only refer to size as well and not features. Pro and Pro Max should be alligned feature wise.

 

[Ru_C]

Yes, it will actually be useable in sunlight then, without a clip-on ND filter. Currently the iPhone has to adjust the shutter speed to compensate, which is the #1 cause of the footage 'looking like it's shot on a phone'. Prores Raw etc is a waste of time i.m.h.o without either a clip on ND or variable aperture.

 

[Onimusha370]

Not sure how a variable aperture is going to help with, anything? Interested to see how they spin it!

 

[superiska123]

Kind of a pointless feature, phone sensors are tiny compared to even the smallest decent camera sensors. Can't see a scenario where it'd be beneficial to have even less light hit the sensor.

 

[HazeAndHahmahneez]

Wow. So variable aperture VS fold capability…round one! Ready?! GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

 

[xmlninja]

The question is what will be saved for 2027 launch and the 20y celebration of the iPhone? Surely that's a release that's not going to get unnoticed as some yearly bump

 

[iPadified]

Apple's processing is superior. I'd rather they incorporate more AI in image processing than just copy the droid philsophy of 'MOAR SENSOR'.

Crap in -> Crap out

 

[macrumors3131]

The annoying thing about the camera upgrades is Apple spreading them out to many years. Like the main camera gets it first, then the telephoto next year, then a year when nothing happens, and finally the ultra wide. I know that’s the way it is and just have to wait for the sweet spot upgrade.

 

[TracerAnalog]

Does anyone use the wide angle lens? Id much rather a tele lens over the wide angle. I have the iPhone 16 and I have to pinch and zoom far more often than use the wide angle lens.

Yup, I use it a lot.

 

[Unami]

Not sure how a variable aperture is going to help with, anything? Interested to see how they spin it!

You won't get shuttery-looking videos in moderately bright light. It probably won't help in bright sunlight - video cameras got built-in ND-Filters for that - but even then, it will at least reduce that strobing look.

It can also have some advantages with photos - e.g. more depth of field if you close down the aperture. Right now, it's always fully opened, so you get the most possible background blur. Which isn't much to begin with on those tiny smartphone lenses and sensors, so the effect won't be that strong - but it can help if you photograph something close up and want the backround to be more in focus.

 

[baryon]

Good. Shooting photos is easier on a fixed aperture because you can just change the shutter speed. But when shooting video, changing the shutter speed will get rid of the motion blur and movement will look bad. You can drop the ISO down to something really low, but it's not low enough. Adding NDs would be the best of both worlds, but I doubt that can be done mechanically in such a small frame. Maybe magnetic snap-on NDs would be a fairly easy thing to do, if a 3rd party could produce that.

 

[Unami]

Does anyone use the wide angle lens? Id much rather a tele lens over the wide angle. I have the iPhone 16 and I have to pinch and zoom far more often than use the wide angle lens.

Very rarely. It often looks pretty bad and vastly distorts objects that are close and on the edge of the lens. Imho it's good for architecture photography and bad landscape photography or for documenting something wide - people and colors look just bad on in, unless you want to play with the distortion effect. I probably wished I had a telephoto 100 times more often.

 

[Moreplease]

I think inbuilt ND filter is more important than variable aperture

Exactly.

But not for the precise reason you say.

It’s important because there is very little leeway to stop down the lens to control shutter speed, because the sensor is small (as you do say).

At best it might stop down to f/4 before diffraction runs riot, which even if the lens speed is improved to f/1.4 (unlikely) is only a three-stop range. Nowhere near enough to get shutter speed into the cinematic range for video.

Yes, it will actually be useable in sunlight then, without a clip-on ND filter. Currently the iPhone has to adjust the shutter speed to compensate, which is the #1 cause of the footage 'looking like it's shot on a phone'. Prores Raw etc is a waste of time i.m.h.o without either a clip on ND or variable aperture.

I agree that the fancy video features are useless with a clip-on ND filter.

But adjustable aperture is not going to fix this problem. Even on a full-frame camera that can stop down to f/16 or f/22, that is not enough to get the shutter speed into the right ballpark in direct sunlight (plus it forces full depth of field, which you usually don’t want).

And an iPhone will only be able to down to about f/4, which isn’t even useful on cloudy days.

For these reasons, I continue to hope that these rumours are mistaken and that Apple will actually add variable ND filter.

That would be vastly more useful and transform the video quality of iPhones.

 

[Unami]

Adding NDs would be the best of both worlds, but I doubt that can be done mechanically in such a small frame. Maybe magnetic snap-on NDs would be a fairly easy thing to do, if a 3rd party could produce that.

Maybe Sony's VariND - Technology? Although, they don't seem to have the space to put that in their full frame photo-cameras at the same time as optical image stabilization - and I doubt that Apple would lose one for the other.

P.S.: There are quite a few different snap-on ND-Filters available from 3rd parties.

 

[BNBMS]

Apple's processing is superior. I'd rather they incorporate more AI in image processing than just copy the droid philsophy of 'MOAR SENSOR'.

You cant beat the physics.