There are many Android phones these days that pack cameras offering variable apertures. This means that users have more options and flexibility when it comes to choosing the aperture for their photos. The good news for iPhone users is that a similar variable aperture feature could be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro.
Skipping the iPhone 17
According to a report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will introduce variable aperture to the iPhone 18 Pro (and presumably the Pro Max). What’s interesting is that this feature was originally rumored to debut with the iPhone 17. If Kuo’s report is accurate, iPhone users will have to wait for one more year if this is a feature they’re looking forward to.
Kuo’s report claims that Sunny Optical will be the company’s primary shutter supplier. Luxshare is expected to provide secondary support for the lens, while BE Semiconductor Industries will provide the necessary equipment to make all of this happen.
In a way Apple skipping the upgrade for the iPhone 17 in favor of the iPhone 18 makes sense. The latest major upgrade to the camera was in the iPhone 16 series. This saw Apple introduce a new side button across its entire iPhone 16 lineup, not just the iPhone 16 Pro.
This new hardware button provides users with a physical shutter button. It also serves as a shortcut to launch the camera app. Lastly, it lets users adjust certain camera settings on the fly physically.
Why this is important
On most camera lenses, there is usually the option to adjust the aperture of the lens. For those unfamiliar, the aperture on a camera lens controls how much light enters. For instance, a lens with a large aperture, such as f/1.4, lets in more light compared to an aperture of f/1.8.
It doesn’t necessarily mean that one is better than the other. It depends on your usage. In environments with insufficient light, a lens with a larger aperture helps you take photos without using flash, increasing the exposure, or raising the ISO. Alternatively, photographers usually recommend a smaller aperture for landscape photos where you want everything to be in focus.
Apple potentially incorporating variable aperture into the iPhone 18 Pro could be useful. It will give photographers more flexibility when it comes to taking their photos. Right now, photographers who want more control over the iPhone’s aperture need to rely on third-party apps. Apple baking the feature natively into the iPhone’s Camera app could be a much-welcome improvement.
