For 2026, Apple has one big trick up its sleeve for the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera system. The current generation iPhone 17 Pro is already known to have one of the most advanced mobile camera systems, setting a new benchmark for photography and videography in the world of mobile phones. However, the iPhone 18 Pro generation is now said to include an advanced camera hardware feature that could change the way you take photographs.
According to a recent supply chain report from Korea’s ETNews, both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to feature an advanced variable aperture lens for the main camera, a technology that allows the phone to physically adjust the amount of light entering the sensor.
Variable aperture cameras on iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max
This mechanical feature moves beyond the fixed f/1.78 aperture used in recent Pro models (from the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro). The variable aperture system, which is a standard feature on DSLR camera lenses, provides dynamic control over light intake. The lens can open wider in low-light environments to capture brighter, clearer photos and narrow down in intensely bright conditions to prevent overexposure and maintain detail.
The functional benefits for users are vast. It promises a substantial improvement in image quality across all lighting conditions, delivering sharper photos from midday sun to midnight darkness. Additionally, the feature grants enhanced control over depth of field. By manually or automatically adjusting the aperture, users can achieve a richer, more natural background blur (bokeh) for professional-looking portraits, or stop down the lens for maximum depth of field, ensuring landscapes are sharply focused from foreground to horizon.
On a device as slim as an iPhone, the effects of the variable aperture could be very limited, unless Apple plans to have a thicker camera hump with a better lens for the main camera.
Apple is reportedly collaborating with Chinese suppliers Luxshare ICT and Sunny Optical on the actuators necessary to control this delicate mechanism.
Apple not the first brand to do variable aperture camera
Guess what – it was Samsung who experimented with a mechanical aperture feature back in 2018 with the Galaxy S9 and retained it on the Galaxy S10 series. In reality, the effect of the variable aperture seemed minimal. With software post-processing becoming more advanced, Samsung eventually ditched the technology for more cost efficiency.
Apple’s implementation is rumoured to be a thinner, more efficient, and cost-effective design.
