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

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.

Popular Stories

election results 2024 live activities

Track 2024 U.S. Election Results Live on Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday November 5, 2024 5:02 am PST by
Apple News is providing Live Activities support for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, allowing iPhone and iPad users to track electoral results in real time directly from their Lock Screen. The feature is rolling out for U.S. users over the course of Election Day, November 5, providing continuous updates of the electoral count. So if you're interested, you don't need to repeatedly check...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
iCloud General Feature

Here's What's New in Apple's Updated iCloud Terms and Conditions Taking Effect Next Week

Friday September 13, 2024 7:39 am PDT by
Apple has started notifying users about an upcoming revision to its iCloud Terms and Conditions, which takes effect on Monday, September 16. We compared the text of the upcoming iCloud Terms and Conditions with the current U.S. version from September 18, 2023 and identified four key changes: "Apple ID" references have been changed to "Apple Account" throughout. iCloud users must agree to ...
ipads early bf deals

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Tuesday November 5, 2024 7:02 am PST by
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but you can already find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Of course, there is a chance that ...
ios 18 2 chatgpt plus

iOS 18.2 Beta 2 Shows Siri ChatGPT Limit, Offers 'Plus' Upgrade Option

Monday November 4, 2024 10:54 am PST by
With the second beta of iOS 18.2 that's available for developers today, Apple has further fleshed out the ChatGPT integration that's available with Siri. In the Settings app, there's now a section that shows the ChatGPT daily limit, and offers an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. The beta includes an Advanced Capabilities section with a "Daily Limit" reading that shows up as...
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...

Top Rated Comments

t0rqx Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:13 am
Cancelled my 17 preorder.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
t0rqx Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:15 am

Yes, but... WHAT ABOUT 19 PRO????
variable aperture on the second lens. iPhone 20 on all lenses.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trifero Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:09 am
Yes, but... WHAT ABOUT 19 PRO????
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jasonsmith_88 Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:25 am

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: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
oldwatery Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:37 am
Just make a damn camera. This is getting really stupid!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lanomds1 Avatar
1 hour ago at 05:16 am
Gotta love all those camera updates for compressed instagram posts :D
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)