According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a significant camera upgrade for the iPhone 18 coming in 2026. The analyst says the iPhone 18’s main rear camera lens will be upgraded to a variable aperture camera for the first time.
In a blog post focused primarily on Apple’s supply chain relationships in the lead up to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18, Kuo says:
One major upgrade for the 2026 high-end iPhone 18 is the wide-camera lens upgrading to a variable aperture camera, significantly enhancing the user photography experience. My latest industry survey indicates Sunny Optical will be the primary shutter supplier (with Luxshare as secondary) and the second variable aperture lens supplier (after Largan Precision).
The Information previously reported that Apple would bring a variable aperture lens to at least one iPhone 17 model next year. Today’s report from Kuo seems to suggest that this change has been delayed and is now slated for one of the high-end iPhone 18 models.
With a variable aperture, the iPhone 18’s main camera lens could physically adjust its aperture size (opening) to control the amount of light reaching the camera sensor. This could offer improvements in low-light photography, better depth of field control, and more versatility across different lighting conditions and environments.
My colleague Ben Lovejoy previously offered an in-depth explanation on why an iPhone camera with a variable aperture would be such a big deal for photographers.
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