Several years after Android smartphones, iPhones would soon finally be entitled to photo sensors with a variable aperture, allowing more flexibility when capturing photos.
According to forecasts by renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is preparing to take a new step in the evolution of its mobile cameras. The iPhone 18 Pro models, expected in 2026, should integrate a variable aperture function on their main sensora first for the Apple brand but a principle already used for certain mobiles from other brands such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor and even Samsung. The latter had already integrated this technology into its Galaxy S9 and S10 in 2018.
This new feature would allow users to precisely control the amount of light entering the lensthus providing greater photographic flexibility in different lighting conditions. Currently, the iPhone 14 Pro, 15 Pro and 16 Pro have a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78.
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Photo sensors with variable aperture on the iPhone 18
According to information published by Kuo on Medium, suppliers Sunny Optical and Luxshare will be primarily responsible for producing the shutters for this new photo system. The variable aperture lenses will be supplied by Sunny Optical and Largan Precision.
This technological development promises to significantly improve the photographic experience for iPhone users. The variable aperture will not only allow better adaptation to light conditionsbut will also offer increased control over depth of fieldmaking it possible to obtain more natural background blur effects, without resorting exclusively to software processing.
While waiting for the iPhone 18, for the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple should already introduce a 48 megapixel telephoto lens and potentially a 24 megapixel front camera across the entire range, thus preparing the ground for this major evolution of its successors.
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