iPhone 18 Pro models can get this major camera upgrade
The iPhone 18 series isn’t expected to launch until September 2026, but details about the lineup have already emerged online. Recently, TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple will introduce a significant camera upgrade with the iPhone 18 series by incorporating an updated main camera with a variable aperture. The iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to be the first to get this feature. Apple’s rivals such as Samsung and Xiaomi offer the same feature on their smartphones, which was initially rumored to arrive on the iPhone 17 range.
Apple will release a significant camera upgrade for the iPhone 18 Pro in 2026
In a Medium message, Kuo revealed his expectations about the iPhone 18 series. The analyst says that the high-end models in the 2026 smartphone range will be equipped with a new primary camera with a variable aperture that will “significantly improve the user’s photography experience.” Kuo doesn’t mention the phones by name, but the 2026 timeline suggests it will be the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Kuo shared details of the updated camera in an analysis of Sunny Optical’s financial prospects for the coming years: “My latest industry research indicates that Sunny Optical will be the primary supplier of shutters (with Luxshare as secondary) and the second supplier of lenses with variable aperture (after Largan). Precision),” he added.
Apple used to be that way too rumors to add a variable aperture lens to at least one iPhone 17 model in 2025. Kuo’s latest claim seems to suggest that this upgrade will come a year later. All this said, both the iPhone 18 and iPhone 17 series are still several months away, and we can expect to see more expectations about the lineups’ camera capabilities emerge online in the coming months.
Variable aperture main cameras adjust their aperture size to control the amount of light hitting the camera sensor, which benefits low-light photography. It offers improved depth of field.
Samsung introduced a variable aperture function for the main camera in 2018 with the Galaxy S9 series. Smartphones like Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Oppo R17 Pro and Honor Magic 6 Pro offer similar features.
