Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Variable aperture will probably mainly be for the video side as an additional way to control exposure without having to compromise on the shutter speed, that would be big for people using their phones to shoot videos with a lot of action like sports. I think the current main camera can go as low as ISO 57 which at f1.8 is very very bright in full sunlight meaning the shutter angle is so short movement can’t look natural without extra processing on the video.

Makes me wonder if it will be an actual aperture/iris mechanism, or if they will use selectable ND filters, or some sort variable ND filter. All of which have pros and cons. Though with the pixel density of these sensors, diffraction must become an issue faster if you make the aperture physically smaller and, as others have pointed out, it isn’t really going to make a big difference for depth of field anyway. If it were me, I’d choose selectable ND filters.
 
Will the Pro devices still come in fugly colors straight out of a 1970’s porn flick? If so, with no black or space grey option, then I’ll pass on those too.

I can’t believe they’d release a “Pro” device with no black variant and fugly vomit orange and fugly deep blue as your only color choices outside of silver.

If it were at least Midnight Blue that almost looks black I could deal with it.
 
Last edited:


While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead.

iPhone-17-Pro-Cosmic-Orange.jpg

If you are skipping the iPhone 17 Pro and want to know about what to expect from the iPhone 18 Pro models, we have recapped a few of the key rumors below.

Under-Screen Face ID

face-id.jpg

In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a roadmap showing that iPhone 17 Pro models would feature under-display Face ID. In May 2024, however, Young said he heard this change had been delayed until 2026. If so, that means that under-screen Face ID could debut on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max next year.

As a result of the under-screen Face ID, Young believes that the iPhone 18 Pro models will have a smaller Dynamic Island.

In May 2025, The Information also reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would likely be equipped with under-screen Face ID.

Variable Aperture

iPhone-17-Pro-Side-Profile.jpg

The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

With variable aperture, users would be able to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. 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 widest aperture. With the iPhone 18 Pro models, users would be able to manually change the aperture, according to this rumor.

A variable aperture on iPhone 18 Pro models 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. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman incorrectly reported that the iPhone 17 Pro models would feature a "variable aperture system," a few days before Apple's event.

2nm A20 Pro Chip and Apple's C2 Modem

iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have an A20 Pro chip fabricated with TSMC's latest 2nm process, which could deliver significant performance improvements, and Apple's power-efficient C2 modem for cellular connectivity.

Article Link: Skipping the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro
Apple Air 18 mini!
That’s the next “big” thing!!
You heard it here!
 
Can we please curb the communal enthusiasm and just expect the 18 to have all the rumours that didn‘t come true for the 17?
 
This year Apple left the PRO line without many differences from the more basic line, which leads me to believe that next year there will be new things arriving in the PRO line to maintain the difference in segment and price between the products.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SantaFeNM
I may be skipping the Pro from here on out.

It seems clear the Air is the "future" of Apple's design aesthetic. The Pro is going to be more of an Apple Watch Ultra-like "rugged" device, which appeals to me less.
That may be but the Air really needs to go case-less to appreciate its qualities. Ultimately, it will also need the silicon battery if it's to have decent battery life. At the moment you are also paying more for less camera and audio capability. If the Air is developed then maybe in 2-3 years time it will be a viable consideration.
 
  • Like
Reactions: flotsum
Boring, any rumours about iPhone 19?😂
The iPhone 22 is going to be an implant based on TSMC's latest .7nm chips with inner ocular projectors built solely by Samsung. Rumored to have several flesh tones available at launch. Pre orders will start at 5am on September 13th 2030
 
  • Like
Reactions: johnsawyercjs
I may be skipping the Pro from here on out.

It seems clear the Air is the "future" of Apple's design aesthetic. The Pro is going to be more of an Apple Watch Ultra-like "rugged" device, which appeals to me less.
It does seem like Apple 🍎 is pushing people toward the iPhone Air. They took away the Space Black color they usually have on the Pro’s and kept the color on the Air.

I will have to test out the Air in the Apple 🍎 Store before I decide on getting the Air.
 
Given the tiny sensors, I doubt variable aperture is about controlling depth of field.

My guess is that it would be used as an additional variable alongside exposure time to add more dynamic range.
Aperture does not affect dynamic range.

Do you know otherwise?

Sensors. Yes.
File type. Yes.

If I use my 85mm 1.8 vs my…I don’t know…200mm 4.0, I don’t gain in dynamic range by using my 85 at 1.8.

If I use my 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 I don’t get more dynamic range if is shoot at 18mm 3.5 than if I shoot at 55 5.6mm.
 
  • Angry
Reactions: NetMage
I love these articles. Pure, utter guesswork.

My predictions are the iPhone 18 will include:
  • Integrated Easy Bake oven.
  • Long-field communication (LFC). Finally, people in the US can checkout at a supermarket cash register in Australia, without even leaving their home.
  • Full body recognition: Forget about just face or touch. Just wave the phone up and down your body to login.
  • Built-in Pong mode, for those moments you're offline (Futurama did it first).
  • Frickin' lasers, somehow, somewhere. About time. And none of that infrared nonsense.
  • Smellovision. Massively overdue on consumer hardware like this. They were doing stuff like that back in the 60s, people!
  • New colour: The colour of magic. Octarine. Somewhere between orange and purple. If you know, you know.
 
Now that the only difference between Pro and Pro Max is screen size and the possibility of 2TB on the Max, how important is screen size to me?🍸😸 I can't think they will put in a camera leap like the one to 200mm (8x) zoom. Also, they might not have a blue 18 Pro, so ... 🟦
 
Aperture does not affect dynamic range.

Do you know otherwise?

Sensors. Yes.
File type. Yes.

If I use my 85mm 1.8 vs my…I don’t know…200mm 4.0, I don’t gain in dynamic range by using my 85 at 1.8.

If I use my 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 I don’t get more dynamic range if is shoot at 18mm 3.5 than if I shoot at 55 5.6mm.
No, not on a traditional camera. But the iPhone automatically brackets multiple exposures to increase dynamic range, merging them with its "deep fusion" algorithms.

This is why I'm saying controlling aperture (to be able to capture otherwise blown-out highlights that can then be merged into the fusion image) may be to help with dynamic range.
 
No, not on a traditional camera. But the iPhone automatically brackets multiple exposures to increase dynamic range, merging them with its "deep fusion" algorithms.

This is why I'm saying controlling aperture (to be able to capture otherwise blown-out highlights that can then be merged into the fusion image) may be to help with dynamic range.
I would be happy if Apple worked at developing a WYSIWYG mode where the camera mimics the human eye. It’s always frustrating that the camera can’t record what I see.
 
What's in the iPhone 20 Pro? That's when i may feel like spending money to upgrade from my 14 Pro. Until then...meh
 
Will the Pro devices still come in fugly colors straight out of a 1970’s porn flick? If so, with no black or space grey option, then I’ll pass those too.

I can’t they’d release a “Pro” device with no black and fugly vomit orange and fugly deep blue as color choices.

If it were at least Midnight Blue that almost looks black I could deal with it.
1973 carpet/couch green is being considered.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Macaholic868
Not going to skip. Planning to get the 17 Pro Max. But will be interesting to hear all the rumors. Would like to see a moving lens, i.e, continuous optical zoom between 4x to 8x. That will not be happening next year for sure.

Hope that Apple will have a nice bright color every year. Very happy that there is an orange iPhone this year. Pro models also deserve some fun colors.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.