No thanks. I'd rather have a larger sensor that uses real data pulled in than Apple assuming what something should look like.
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iPhone 18 Pro's Major Camera Upgrade to Be Variable Aperture
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The two things do not exclude each other.
But in the most extreme cases, you can't make up with any AI what is not there, unless you want to end up into full Samsung-fake-moon territory.
More light is just better and small sensors is the greatest limitation to phone cameras.
The article states that the variable aperture will have an impact on depth of field. This is very true on a telephoto lens but with a wide angle lens (that already has great depth of field because of the inherent properties of a wide angle lens) the impact of variable aperture will be minimal. It's really about adjusting the amount of light coming into the camera, not about depth of field.
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
Finally. A feature that makes real sense.
Hope they couple it with a larger sensor and a larger maximum aperture for portrait and low light, which would be a camera upgrade that we haven't seen in YEARS.
Perhaps with this whole new camera bump taking all that space, they fit in a periscopic lens or some exotic lens elements to make this physically possible.
Hope they couple it with a larger sensor and a larger maximum aperture for portrait and low light, which would be a camera upgrade that we haven't seen in YEARS.
Perhaps with this whole new camera bump taking all that space, they fit in a periscopic lens or some exotic lens elements to make this physically possible.
Variable aperture would be most useful for allowing the 180 degree rule to achieve motion blur. So being able to adjust shutter speed would be helpful. However seems variable aperture will be problematic with the thin phone etc. Maybe a built in variable ND filter would be a better option for the iPhone. Might be the best of all worlds with the tiny censor.
The problem is that the aperture will not stop down enough to achieve anywhere near 180-degree shutter angle in bright light.
Doing that in sunlight would require something like f/32 at base ISO (with a small bit of headroom for meaningful Log profile encoding).
But f/32 would destroy image quality by massive diffraction on any plausible phone sensor size.
Being able to adjust light by maybe three stops if we’re lucky does not seem worth adding the complexity of an adjustable diaphragm mechanism.
I agree with you that a built-in variable ND filter would be more useful. That would be a revolution in phone video.
Pointless for DOF with the small sensor.
Could let an improved sensitivity sensor still work on the beach in bright sunlight or let you use slower shutter speeds for e.g. flowing shots of water.
An F1 lens on the main iPhone camera would be a 1.4” diameter lens, tough to fit back there.
Really, because the iPhone 14 Pro doubled the main camera’s sensor area of the iPhone 13 Pro, which itself had a larger sensor and aperture than the iPhone 12 Pro. So, 3 years?
I’m worried about another point of failure. This is a moving piece that is difficult to get to if something were to happen to the mechanism.
Also, do we have any idea whether the variable aperture is similar to Samsungs dual aperture or continuous? If Apple really wants to push the iPhone toward professional photography, then it would make sense to strive towards continuous but it a small package
Also, do we have any idea whether the variable aperture is similar to Samsungs dual aperture or continuous? If Apple really wants to push the iPhone toward professional photography, then it would make sense to strive towards continuous but it a small package
Yeah, I also believe a telephoto lens would’ve been more beneficial for users on the iPhone 16/17. My X had one.