It’s only been two months since Apple launched its iPhone 16 series iPhone 17 rumors and leaks Already in full swing. Expected to arrive in 2026, the iPhone 18 is no laggard in the rumor game. Apple puts a lot of effort and time into camera details to take the photography game up from one model to the next. Now, we have an idea of what the next two generations of iPhone camera upgrades could look like.
Multiple leaks suggest that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will have 48MP ultrawide cameras, and we’ll eventually see an upgraded 24MP selfie camera across the entire lineup. For the iPhone 18 series, Apple may focus more on aperture rather than megapixels. A reliable source has now revealed a surprise camera upgrade for the iPhone 18 series.
Variable aperture lens on iPhone 18
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, The high-end iPhone 18 will have a main camera with variable aperture. From the high-end iPhone, we expect the iPhone 18 Pro Max and possibly also the iPhone 18 Pro, but Kuo did not mention the names of the phones. Initially, Apple was reported to use variable aperture on the iPhone 17 series, but the giant seems to have moved forward with the feature after a year.
Kuo says that variable aperture is already present on many Android smartphones and will improve the photography experience on the upcoming iPhone. Aperture is the size of the lens opening that allows light to enter the camera. Most smartphones have fixed apertures. A variable aperture lets you control how much light reaches the sensor, giving you more control over exposure. For example, you can set the aperture to its widest setting when capturing low-light shots.
The report mentions that Sunny Optical will be the primary supplier for the iPhone 18 variable aperture lens. They have extensive experience in designing and manufacturing similar parts for Android smartphones.
iPhone 18 won’t be the first variable-aperture phone
Even if Kuo’s reporting proves true, the iPhone 18 Pro models won’t be the first models to come with variable-aperture lenses. Back in 2018, Samsung launched its variable aperture technology for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus. Also, the company had also used this feature for its Galaxy S10 lineup. However, the optical upgrade didn’t give it a big boost in sales, which is probably why Samsung didn’t offer the feature beyond the S10 line.
Recently, variable aperture lenses have been used by some other brands like Vivo and Xiaomi. That said, the feature hasn’t really taken hold on smartphones. That said, depending on Apple’s execution, the variable main camera aperture could bring some photography benefits to the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
While Kuo has a good track record for information from Apple, this is a very early leak so we’ll take it with a pinch of salt for now.
