iPhone 18 Pro Main Camera to Feature Variable Aperture [Report]

The main camera on Apple's iPhone 18 Pro is reportedly getting a major hardware upgrade: a variable aperture. The addition would be a first for an iPhone's main camera and give photographers more DSLR-like creative control over depth of field, according to a report from South Korea's ETNews.

A variable aperture lets the camera physically adjust how much light hits the sensor. That means it can open wider in dark settings to capture brighter images, or narrow in bright sunlight to prevent overexposure. It also gives photographers direct control over depth of field, making it possible to capture portraits with a sharp subject and an artistically blurred background.

Apple is said to be adding the feature to differentiate its camera system in a market where megapixel counts have largely plateaued. While the feature is new for an iPhone's main camera, Samsung did briefly use similar technology in its Galaxy S9 and S10 before dropping it over cost and thickness concerns. The report claims LG Innotek and Foxconn will manufacture the main camera module, with the crucial actuator component coming from Luxshare ICT and Sunny Optical.


This new camera hardware is planned for the iPhone 18 Pro, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2026. Other reports have already indicated that model will debut Apple's second-generation C2 modem and an A20 processor built on a 2-nanometer process.

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