In recent years, Apple has gradually introduced new camera technologies in its iPhone models, such as optical image stabilisation, 48-megapixel sensors and 5x zoom telephoto lenses. Now, all signs point to the next big upgrade being the introduction of adjustable aperture.
The news was shared by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in a post on Medium (translated from Chinese), who suggests it’ll debut on the iPhone 18 Pro models. These are likely to be unveiled in 2026.
According to Kuo, Sunny Optical and Luxshare will be the main and secondary suppliers of the shutter for the 18 Pro’s main camera, while Sunny Optical and Largan Precision will supply variable aperture lenses.
The main cameras in the iPhone 14 Pro, 15 Pro and 16 Pro all have a fixed aperture of f/1.78, which is fine in most scenarios but lacks versatility.
With a variable aperture, the main camera on future iPhone models would be able to adjust the amount of light let in, allowing the camera to adapt to different lighting conditions. It also provides better control over depth of field, allowing for sharper focus on subjects or a softer background blur.
However, while it might be new for the iPhone, the feature has been available on Android phones for a while.
Samsung introduced a variable aperture on the Galaxy S9 back in 2018, before ditching it with the introduction of the Galaxy S20 two years later. Xiaomi has implemented a more advanced version on the 14 Ultra, the best camera phone you can buy, with step-free aperture changes between f/1.63 and f/4.0.
Apple’s implementation is likely to be closer to Xiaomi’s version than Samsung’s, but the point stands that it’s nothing new for phones.
Before that, we’ve got the iPhone 17 range in 2025 to look forward to.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Macworld Sweden and was translated and adapted from Swedish.