Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly two years away from launching, rumors are already swirling about a new feature for these devices.
In a blog post today, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated that the main rear camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, a first for an iPhone. The main camera is the 48-megapixel Fusion camera, which was also known as the main or wide-angle camera on older iPhone models.
With variable aperture, users will be able to control the amount of light passing through the camera lens and reaching the sensor. The main camera on the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro models has a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shoots at that widest aperture. According to this rumor, the iPhone 18 Pro models will allow users to manually change the aperture.
Variable aperture is a feature typically found on professional DSLR/mirrorless cameras from companies like Sony and Canon.
Kuo first made the announcement last month. Today, he added that Dutch manufacturer BE Semiconductor will supply the assembly equipment for the aperture blades, which are the mechanical part that controls how much light passes through the lens.
The variable aperture on the iPhone 18 Pro models should give users more control over depth of field, which refers to how sharp an object in the foreground appears compared to the background. However, given that smartphones have smaller image sensors due to physical size limitations, it’s unclear how significant this improvement will be.
This rumor is likely to evolve over time. Kuo didn’t say whether the iPhone 18 Pro models would get a larger sensor, but such an upgrade would pave the way for significant improvements in depth of field. Apple already offers Portrait mode, which artificially blurs the background behind a person or other object in a photo. A larger image sensor would allow for a more natural “bokeh” effect on the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Variable aperture was previously rumored to be coming to at least one iPhone 17 model, but Kuo believes the feature is planned for the iPhone 18 Pro models.
The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to launch in September 2026.
Tags: iPhone 18, Ming-Chi Kuo[ 87 comments ]
