Variable Aperture Rumored to Bring Major Camera Upgrade to iPhone 18 Pro

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Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models will feature an upgraded main rear camera with a variable aperture for the first time, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

iPhone 17 Pro Max Smaller Notch Feature
Apple has gradually expanded new camera technologies, such as sensor-shift stabilization, 48-megapixel sensors, and the tetraprism 5x telephoto camera, across its iPhone models in recent years. It now appears that after completing the rear camera array's transition to 48-megapixel sensors by bringing one to the telephoto camera on next year's iPhone 17 Pro models, the next significant camera upgrade will be the introduction of a variable aperture.

The information comes from Kuo's latest post on Medium, where he outlined how upcoming products such as the iPhone 17 "Slim," M5 MacBook Pro, and ‌iPhone 18‌ will affect Apple supplier Sunny Optical. Kuo believes that Sunny Optical and Luxshare will be the primary and secondary shutter suppliers for the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro's new main camera, while the variable aperture lens will be supplied by Sunny Optical and Largan Precision.

The ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro, 15 Pro, and 16 Pro's main cameras feature a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78. A variable aperture on future ‌iPhone‌ models would allow the main camera to control the amount of light entering the lens, allowing it to adjust to different lighting conditions. It also would provide more control over depth of field, enabling sharper focus on subjects or smoother background blur. The ‌iPhone 18‌ is expected to launch in 2026.

Tags: Largan, Luxshare, Ming-Chi Kuo

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Top Rated Comments

t0rqx Avatar
t0rqx
9 months ago
Cancelled my 17 preorder.
Score: 36 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0134168 Avatar
0134168
9 months ago
Yes, but... WHAT ABOUT 19 PRO????
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
t0rqx
9 months ago

Yes, but... WHAT ABOUT 19 PRO????
variable aperture on the second lens. iPhone 20 on all lenses.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jasonsmith_88 Avatar
jasonsmith_88
9 months ago

This would be a fantastic upgrade for sure.

Still holding out for a higher resolution telephoto sensor in the near future though, hoping for a 48mp sensor. 48mp would enable a 10x "optical quality" zoom option too, similar to the 2x option now.
I have a 2018 iPhone XS with the 12mp 2x optical. I use this lens a lot.

I went into an Apple store to check out the 2x “optical quality” on the 16 Pro. I took some photos with the 16 Pro, and the same photos with my XS.

When punching in, details, especially such as text, are garbled on the 16 Pro. All photos looked better on my XS.

This isn’t exactly a shock because while the 16 Pro has a bigger sensor, it isn’t 4x bigger. So when shooting at 2x, the total surface area of the sensor is less on the 16 Pro compared to the dedicated 2x lens on my XS. I suppose I was hoping for some magic but you can’t defy physics.

I’m at a complete loss because my XS is dying yet I can’t justify spending £999 on a phone with a camera that’s worse than 2018.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oldwatery Avatar
oldwatery
9 months ago
Just make a damn camera. This is getting really stupid!
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
Unggoy Murderer
9 months ago
This would be a fantastic upgrade for sure.

Still holding out for a higher resolution telephoto sensor in the near future though, hoping for a 48mp sensor. 48mp would enable a 10x "optical quality" zoom option too, similar to the 2x option now.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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