Summary
- The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, scheduled for 2026, may feature a variable aperture camera, replacing the current fixed lens mechanism.
- Variable aperture automatically adjusts light input, improving photos in different lighting conditions.
- Samsung already tested the technology on the Galaxy S9, but discontinued it, while Huawei recently announced the Pura 80 Ultra, which features the feature.
Apple may adopt a camera feature that other smartphone makers have already explored: variable aperture. According to the South Korean portal ETNewsthe technology should debut in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, scheduled for the second half of 2026.
The system would replace the current fixed-aperture main lens (f/1.78) with a mechanism capable of automatically adjusting the light input, depending on the environment. In dark places, the camera would open the aperture wider to capture sharp images, while in well-lit areas it would reduce the aperture to avoid overexposure.
The technology was tested before and did not work. The Galaxy S9, launched in 2018, featured a variable opening and seemed to be a success at the time. Since then, Samsung has discontinued the feature due to the high cost and thickness of the devices, and chose to increase the number of cameras in subsequent models.
What would change?
Simply put, the variable aperture allows the lens to adapt to different light conditions — something common in professional cameras, but rare in smartphones. The technology offers control over how much of the scene appears in focus (depth of field), something useful for both portraits and landscapes.
Until now, all iPhone Pro models, from the 14th to the 17th, have maintained a fixed aperture of f/1.78. According to the ETNewsif the rumor is confirmed, Apple should use components from LG Innotech and Foxconn, while Luxshare ICT and Sunny Optical would be responsible for the actuators that move the lens.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, known for anticipating information about Apple, had already mentioned the feature in 2023, predicting its debut precisely in the iPhone 18 line. According to the MacRumorsthe company may also present the iPhone Air 2 and the first foldable iPhone at the same event.
Technology is not new, but it can gain momentum
The idea of an adjustable aperture lens is not new. In addition to Samsung in 2018, Huawei resurrected the concept in the Pura 80 Ultra. The cell phone arrived in Brazil last Tuesday (10/14) for R$12,999.
It has a variable aperture lens between f/1.6 and f/4.0 and is considered the smartphone with the best camera on the planet, according to the DxOMark ranking. The Huawei Pura 80 Ultra uses the feature to balance light and contrast in different scenarios and can offer more realistic depth effects.
Although the change seems small, Apple may adopt variable aperture to improve photos in mixed environments. According to the 9to5Macthe feature would bring benefits to those who want to film at 24 fps in bright light.
In practice, Apple is not expected to deliver depth control comparable to DSLR cameras, as the iPhone’s sensors remain smaller. Still, the new lens must represent a relevant technical leap, with a direct impact on the quality of the images.
Source: https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/iphone-18-pro-pode-ter-camera-com-abertura-variavel/
