New iPhone 18 Pro leak suggests several truly professional camera features

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are launching this week, and they’re rumored to arrive with a variable aperture lens on the main camera. This may be only the hardware part of the planned camera upgrade, as a new leak suggests there will be several major software improvements as well.

iPhone 18 Pro camera app may come with five advanced new features

Apple may launch a major update for the Camera app on iOS 27 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, bringing several advanced features to its phones. The new features were hidden in the latest beta version of the company’s mobile operating system, but aren’t accessible to users, according to a MacRumors report.

The following features are most likely coming with iOS 27:

• Repeated self-timer shots
• Manual focus
• Exposure scopes
• Focus peaking and highlight warnings
• Aperture-based image correction

While features like manual focus and repeated self-timer shots could end up being available for older models as well, the Aperture-based image correction is most likely going to be exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro. This feature changes how photos are processed depending on the aperture setting, which is expected to be adjustable for the new Pro models.

Check out some of the latest Apple news:

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What are the new camera features on the iPhone 18 Pro all about?

Some of the new features are not exactly advanced, but they have never been available in the stock Camera app before. Repeated self-timer shots will allow users to take several timed photos in a row, which is how camera timers work on many cameras. After each timer, the countdown will start again automatically, allowing taking photos back-to-back, instead of pressing the shutter button once more.

Focus peaking and highlight warnings are among the features that have already been available in third-party apps, and will be welcomed by many advanced users. The former creates a colored outline on the edges of the objects that are in sharp focus in the image, while the latter adds an overlay to areas of the image that are overexposed. In both cases, the information is overlaid on top of the preview of the image and can be used before taking the photo.



The manual focus feature, which is also offered by multiple third-party camera apps for iOS, is similar to what’s offered by Apple’s own Final Cut Camera app. However, this feature appears to be locked to devices that have shipped with iOS 27, suggesting it may be iPhone 18 Pro exclusive.



Probably the most advanced feature is Exposure scopes, which will allow the Camera app to display a waveform or histogram representing the exposure of the image while shooting. Histograms are focused on showing what part of the pixels fall into the shadows, mid-tones, and highlights, while a waveform shows the same information but lined up with the horizontal pixel position. This makes it easier to judge the specific area in the frame where the exposure is different.

Catching up to the competition

Apple has been criticized about the lack of advanced features in the Camera app for years, with some users on Reddit questioning the company’s marketing and effort with the hardware. Of course, many have argued that there are third-party apps that have all the options anyone could ask for, and that most users don’t really want or need more from the app.



Meanwhile, devices like the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Pixel 11 Pro come with a dedicated Pro mode or at least various advanced settings directly inside the default camera app. Samsung also offers its own Expert RAW app, which adds even more pro-grade features, including ND Filter and Virtual Aperture.

If Apple’s app finally gets these advanced features, the iPhone 18 Pro may finally catch up to its main competitors.

It was about time

As admirable as the simplicity of the iPhone camera has always been, I often find myself using third-party apps to get a little more control over my photos. I’d much prefer such options to be available in the default app, and I truly hope Apple finally relents and starts offering them with iOS 27.

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