Apple has been working on a major camera upgrade for the iPhone 18 series according to many reports over the past year. However, it appears that this camera upgrade will be exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with even the iPhone 18 Pro missing out on it when it comes out next month.
iPhone 18 Pro Max gets exclusive camera upgrade
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will most likely feature a variable aperture. | Image by Jon Rettinger
Apple has been working on incorporating a variable aperture into the iPhone 18 Pro Max, an idea that Samsung once played with many generations ago for its Galaxy flagships. This feature was initially reported to be coming to both the iPhone 18 Pro Max as well as its smaller counterpart.
However, according to a new report (translated source) by one of the most trusted and reliable insiders on the internet, the variable aperture will only be found on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The foldable iPhone Ultra will also not feature such an aperture.
How much does this affect your purchase decision for the iPhone 18 Pro?
A champion of photography
This variable aperture will allow users to control how much light hits their lens with much more precision, allowing for much better photography as a result. For example, widening the aperture in dark environments will let your phone capture photos with more detail in them.
Given the other specifications of the iPhone 18 Pro Max in addition to this exclusive camera upgrade, it’s looking more and more like the best phone to get in the second half of this year. Unless, of course, you really want to try out Apple’s first-ever foldable flagship.
Recommended For You
Apple iPhone 18 Pro
Display
6.3-inch . 2622x1206px
Camera
Triple camera
Battery
4288 mAh
Storage
12GB . 256GB
Hardware
Apple A20 Pro
OS
iOS 27.x
I would still recommend that you do not get the iPhone Ultra, however.
An obvious choice for many
Apple's grand three-year plan for the iPhone began with the iPhone 17 Pro last year. | Image by PhoneArena
For all of the people who love taking photos on their iPhone, the 18 Pro Max will be an obvious choice. It will cost more, but it will make up for it by providing you with better control over how your photos come out.
Understandably, some Apple fans aren’t reacting positively to the news, especially now that the iPhone 18 Pro sounds like a very minor upgrade over the iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple's user base is now questioning the point of the iPhone 18 Pro. | Image by Reddit
Apple’s three-year plan for the iPhone started with the redesigned iPhone 17 Pro and the new iPhone Air. The company was supposed to follow that up with the iPhone 18 Pro models which would have smaller Dynamic Island cutouts as well as variable apertures, alongside the foldable iPhone.
Lastly, the iPhone 20 Pro was supposed to come out next year with an all-glass display to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iPhone. Even that, according to one report, will not happen. The iPhone 20 Pro won’t get the display that it was supposed to.
Apple also wanted to make its foldable feature a completely crease-free display. That, too, has not been possible. The three-year plan for the iPhone has unraveled shortly after getting off the ground.
Will the iPhone 18 Pro get left behind?
The iPhone 17 Pro sold incredibly well. | Image by PhoneArena
I see two reasons because of which the iPhone 18 Pro could suffer greatly.
It is a very minor upgrade over the iPhone 17 Pro
The base iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 are delayed
As such, for customers who don’t want to get the iPhone 18 Pro Max but also don’t see the value in the iPhone 18 Pro, waiting for the iPhone 18 or the iPhone Air 2 makes more sense. In addition, the foldable iPhone Ultra is also launching alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max, sharing the spotlight with the Pro Max and its new variable aperture.
The entire iPhone 17 series was very successful globally. | Image by Counterpoint Research
The iPhone 17 series was the best-selling lineup of phones earlier this year, but I think that the iPhone 18 Pro will probably fall down a few positions in that list for Q1 2027.
Apple’s decision to keep the variable aperture exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro Max is due to the thickness and the size of the phone according the report. A variable aperture requires a larger chassis with more space. Space that the iPhone 18 Pro might not have had.
So, unfortunately, if you want to use an iPhone with a variable aperture, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is your only choice for now. Even Samsung has apparently canceled plans for a variable aperture on the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
Read more about how the iPhone 18 Pro Max fits into the modern smartphone landscape:
Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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