Step aside, iPhone 17 - the iPhone 18 might have a massive camera upgrade
Rumor has it the iPhone 18 will come with a variable aperture on the main camera
📱 Apple might wait until the iPhone 18 to introduce a variable aperture camera
📸 This would allow photographers to adjust light intake and depth of field with hardware
🤳 Previous rumors suggested the iPhone 17 would include it
📅 We have some time until we know for sure when this feature will pop up
Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 has been the subject of many rumors lately, but the iPhone 18 is about to steal the limelight.
A new post from established Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the iPhone 18 might come with a huge camera upgrade that could convince some folks to skip the iPhone 17 entirely. Kuo says the main camera on the iPhone 18 will include a variable aperture, giving photographers greater control over how their photos look. It would be one of the first phones in the United States to include the feature, following the Galaxy S9 and S10 from a few years ago.
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📸 What is a variable aperture?
The aperture on a camera is the hole in the middle of the lens that light passes through to hit the sensor. The bigger the aperture, the more light gets in. With smartphone cameras, you typically see fairly large apertures since the sensors are so small and need as much light as possible for good photos.
This means you’re pretty limited in terms of what your photos can look like. If you’re a serious photographer, having an aperture you can change not only means letting in less light to pull more detail out of bright scenes, but also adjusting the depth of field to keep things blurred or focused in the background.
Traditionally, smartphones have gotten around these limitations using software features like portrait mode and exposure controls, but using physical hardware is always better for higher-quality images.
🤳 The iPhone 18’s new camera trick
That’s where the variable aperture comes into play. Kuo says Apple will include the feature on the “high-end” iPhone 18s which will give professional photographers and enthusiasts alike greater control over their photos. Kuo says Sunny Optical will be the primary supplier of lenses for the iPhone.
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It’s unclear how widely the aperture will vary on the iPhone 18. Since the sensor will presumably be pretty small (it’s a smartphone camera, after all), there likely won’t be much variance, but enough to help you take better pictures. Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S10 phones could only switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 depending on lighting conditions, so there’s a chance that Apple will take a similar approach.
📱 What about the iPhone 17’s cameras?
The iPhone 17 is expected to get an upgraded 48MP telephoto camera and a 24MP selfie camera. Previous reports have suggested that the device would be the first to get a variable aperture, but Kuo’s report throws a wrench in those expectations, and it looks like it could go either way.
We’ll need to give these rumors more time to work themselves out before we know whether the iPhone 17 or iPhone 18 is the first to get a variable aperture. Since the iPhone 17 isn’t expected until next September and the iPhone 18 not until 2026, The Shortcut team will be keeping a close eye on any new leaks that pop up, so stay tuned.
Max Buondonno is a writer at The Shortcut. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop.