The iPhone 18 Pro’s main camera is rumored to gain a new variable aperture system for the first time on any iPhone, reports the reliable Ming-Chi Kuo in a new Medium post today.
According to Kuo, Apple will tout the variable aperture on the iPhone 18 Pro as a major selling point for the device. Sunny Optical and Luxshare will supply the new shutters. Lenses for the new variable aperture will be supplied by Sunny Optical and Largan. Sunny already has experience with variable aperture systems after supplying them for many years for some Android devices, and Apple is set to leverage this experience.
In July, a report from The Information claimed that Apple is aiming for the variable aperture sysem to be ready for at least one iPhone 17 model next year. Kuo’s report today indicates that this system is slated for the iPhone 18 Pro, so perhaps Apple delayed the feature after running into engineering difficulties.
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The rumored system would allow for a physical adjustment of the camera’s aperture size for the first time on an iPhone. The aperture’s size controls the amount of light that hits the camera sensor. In addition, it also plays an important role in determining the quality of a photo’s depth-of-field and how focused the subject is compared to the blurred background.
All iPhone models to date include a fixed aperture, including the latest iPhone 16 Pro lineup at f/1.78. A variable should dramatically improve the quality of Portrait Mode images captured on the iPhone 18 Pro, making them appear more lifelike and natural. The bokeh effect would be the result of physical changes in the lens itself instead of being simulated via software effects as it’s done today.
