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

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

iphone 17 cameras zoom
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.

Related Roundup: iPhone 18
Tag: ETNews
Related Forum: iPhone

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Top Rated Comments

W
Wrylachlan2
22 weeks ago
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.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kylo83 Avatar
Kylo83
22 weeks ago
We need a bigger sensor that’s it, we need a 1inc sensor
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H
hunter_a
22 weeks ago
Yawn, gimme 18 Mini.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unami Avatar
Unami
22 weeks ago

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.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
maddogeco
22 weeks ago
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.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sezel Avatar
Sezel
22 weeks ago
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.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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