Apple is believed to be developing itsiPhone18 Pro series with a major improvement to its camera array. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the high-end iPhone of 2026 will support a variable aperture, a first for Apple’s handhelds. This news arrives before we even have any official announcementabout the iPhone 17.
Kuo notes that Apple’s upcoming camera array will be supplied by Sunny Optical and Luxshare. The newmain cameraand variable aperture lens will be supplied by Sunny Optical and Largan Precision, both of which have been steady suppliers for Apple in the past.
Currently, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro series all feature main cameras with a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78. With a shift to a variable aperture, iPhone 18 Pro users will be able to control the amount of light entering the lens of the main camera. This will allow users to control the aperture based on the lighting conditions. This will be especially useful dealing with the disparity of light between indoor and outdoor environments. It’ll also allow users to tailor the depth of field much better with sharper focus on the subject.
Kino made me unafraid to shoot professional videos on my iPhone
Kino, a video camera app from the creators of Halide, strikes a balance between pro features and a smart video processing.
iPhone 17 could be laying the groundwork for a new camera array
Next year’s iPhone could offer a refreshed design
With all this being said, iPhone 18 Pro likely won’t arrive any sooner than September 2026. For the time being, many eyes are laid on the iPhone 17 series, expected next year. Currently, it’s believed that Apple may look at ditching the Plus model due to concerns of attachment. It’s claimed that iPhone 17 may feature a refreshed design, with a slim chassis, smaller Dynamic Island, and new rear camera layout.
Reports believe that Apple may transition away from having the rear cameras laid out in the top corner. With such a drastic change to the layout of the rear camera, iPhone 17 may plant the seeds for an even larger, more fundamental upgrade the following year.
What are the iPhone’s HEIC, ProRAW, and ProRes RAW for?
Your iPhone could very well be the most powerful and easy-to-use camera you own, but the files it creates are a whole other story.
