The next big iPhone camera upgrade might not be about more megapixels or smarter AI. Instead, it could borrow a trick from dedicated cameras by letting you physically change the aperture of the lens.
According to multiple reports – including those from Korea’s ET News and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to feature a variable aperture on their main rear cameras. That means rather than being stuck with one fixed lens opening, the camera would be able to physically adjust how much light hits the sensor.
If you’re not into photography, this might not mean much. But here’s why it could be a big deal.
What is variable aperture – and why does it matter?
Inside a traditional camera lens are tiny mechanical blades that open and close to control light intake. A wider aperture like f/1.4 lets in more light and creates a shallower depth of field. A narrower one, say f/4, reduces the amount of light hitting the sensor, and keeps more of the scene in focus.
In practical terms, that could mean opening the lens wide for a more professional-looking portrait shot, where your subject is sharp but the background melts away naturally – aka, the creamy bokeh that most people are after for better portrait shots.
Alternatively, you can stop the aperture down when shooting a bright landscape on holiday, so more of the scene – from foreground to horizon – stays crisp and properly exposed.
On recent iPhones, including the iPhone 14 Pro through to the iPhone 17 Pro, the main camera has used a fixed f/1.78 aperture. Because the lens opening doesn’t change, exposure is controlled electronically and, combined with Apple’s software wizardry, simulated background blurs are created.
If the iPhone 18 Pro gets variable aperture, it would be Apple’s first time using the hardware-level approach. In bright conditions, the lens could stop down to preserve highlight detail and keep more of the frame sharp. In low light, it could open up to capture more light naturally – something photography fans will appreciate.
It’s been done before
If the rumours are true, Apple wouldn’t be breaking entirely new ground. Back in 2018, the Samsung Galaxy S9 introduced a dual mechanical aperture system that could switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4. The feature continued with the Samsung Galaxy S10 before Samsung quietly dropped it a year later.
Elsewhere, Sony also brought a dual-aperture system to the Sony Xperia PRO-I, offering f/2.0 and f/4.0 settings via a physical iris mechanism. More recently, some Chinese flagships from the likes of Huawei, Honor, and others, have also included the feature.
In traditional Apple fashion, then, it won’t be the first to bring a new feature to the table. But given the Cupertino tech giant’s history of waiting for things to be as polished as possible before release, we’ve got tentatively high hopes for the execution.
How big a deal is variable aperture on a smartphone, really?
Computational photography and software tricks have done a remarkable job masking the limitations of small sensors and fixed lenses on smartphones. But as smartphone cameras approach diminishing returns in software alone, physical improvements could once again become a selling point.
A variable aperture would give your iPhone more flexibility in balancing dynamic range and sharpness characteristics, without leaning entirely on processing. It could also mean more control in bright daylight scenes, where stopping down slightly can improve consistency across the frame.
Of course, there could also be trade-offs. Mechanical aperture systems add complexity and can increase thickness. They also raise manufacturing costs, which likely be passed on to the final RRP. They could also add an extra point of failure if you drop your phone, given the moving components.
But if Apple can integrate it without compromising design – and pair it with its already-excellent image processing – it could make for one of the most exciting iPhone camera upgrades in years.
Whether or not only diehard photographers will appreciate things like real – rather than simulated – background blurs, though, remains to be seen.
