John Ternus Shares Possible iPhone 18 Pro Camera Teaser [Video]

Apple CEO John Ternus has shared a short video that could hint at the iPhone 18 Pro's rumored variable aperture camera ahead of today's 'Surprise and Shine' event.

pic.twitter.com/CLu9eRDP5b

— John Ternus (@johnternus) September 9, 2026

The clip shows a beam of light passing through a changing hexagonal opening above what appears to be a camera lens. The animation resembles an aperture opening and closing, although it does not explicitly identify a device or feature.

A mechanical variable aperture would let the camera adjust how much light reaches the sensor and give users greater control over depth of field. Recent reports suggest the upgrade could appear at least on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Reports of the camera upgrade date back to at least October 2025. By April, suppliers were said to have started producing components for the aperture mechanism, ahead of full camera module production.

More recently, hidden code in the iOS 27 beta revealed lens-correction data that changes with the aperture value, potentially supporting the rumored hardware.


Today's presentation will be Ternus' first iPhone event as CEO following the September 1 leadership transition. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple's first foldable iPhone, and new Apple Watch models are expected.

The September 9 keynote begins at 10 a.m. Pacific / 1 p.m. Eastern. Follow our live blog for updates and images as the announcements happen.