Samsung to Revive Variable Aperture Cameras to Counter iPhone 18 Upgrades [Report]

Samsung is preparing to revive a previously abandoned camera feature as it looks to strengthen its Galaxy lineup ahead of Apple's next iPhone upgrades. After ditching mechanical apertures years ago, the electronics giant is reportedly preparing to reintroduce the technology following renewed interest across the industry.



According to a report from ETNews, Samsung has officially asked its suppliers to begin developing the new modules. Partners such as Samsung Electro-Mechanics and McNex are said to be producing samples for testing right now. While the project is described as being in the early stages, sources indicate Samsung is determined to implement the feature, viewing it as a necessary differentiator as Apple moves toward adopting the technology.


A variable aperture mechanism adjusts the opening of the lens, allowing the camera to restrict light intake for sharper images with natural depth of field in bright conditions or open wider to capture more detail in low-light environments. Samsung actually pioneered this in the modern smartphone market with the Galaxy S9 back in 2018 but dropped it starting with the Galaxy S20 to reduce module thickness and cut costs. However, advances in component miniaturization have reportedly made the technology viable again without compromising the slim profile of modern devices.

Much of the renewed urgency is tied directly to Apple's roadmap. Apple is expected to debut a variable aperture system on the high-end iPhone 18 models later this year. Supply chain reports from late last month indicated Apple had already begun sampling components for the new lens.

Current expectations suggest Apple will apply the mechanical iris to the main wide-angle camera, a distinct departure from the fixed-aperture lenses used in previous generations. We have also seen reports that the feature will accompany other massive hardware updates for the iPhone 18 Pro, including the move to the 2nm A20 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM.

This isn't the first sign of Samsung reacting to Apple's 2026 plans. In December, reports surfaced that the company was testing new camera technologies and foldable designs specifically to get ahead of the next iPhone cycle. With camera hardware wars largely plateauing recently, the return of moving optics signals renewed interest in hardware-based camera differentiation.