Apple is testing two major upgrades to the iPhone 18 Pro camera

Apple is actively testing two major improvements to the iPhone’s rear camera, according to a reputable leaker.

A Weibo user known as “Digital Chat Station” claims that Apple is testing a new main camera for the ‌iPhone‌ with a variable aperture. A variable aperture allows the camera to adjust the amount of light that hits the sensor. This means that in dark environments the aperture can be opened to let in more light, while in bright environments it can be closed to prevent overexposure. It should also give users more control over depth of field, which refers to how sharp an object appears in the foreground compared to the background.

The claim confirms a number of previous rumors that the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro Max will have an improved main camera with variable aperture. In December 2024, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was the first to say that the main rear camera on both ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro models will offer variable aperture. A more recent report from October 2025 stated that Apple is moving ahead with plans to bring the technology to next-generation iPhones and is discussing components with suppliers.

Apple has never used variable aperture on an ‌iPhone‌ camera before. The main cameras on all ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro to iPhone 17 Pro models have a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, and the lens is always fully open and takes photos with this aperture. Samsung Electronics previously brought a variable aperture camera to its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 models in 2018 and 2019, but dropped the feature in 2020 due to increased thickness and high price.

Second, the leaker reiterated his claim that Apple is testing a new telephoto lens with a larger aperture for the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ models are equipped with a telephoto lens with an aperture of ƒ/2.8. While the camera has been upgraded to a 48-megapixel sensor, a substantial improvement over the 12-megapixel sensor used in previous generations, it has retained the same aperture size. A larger aperture on the ‌iPhone‌ telephoto lens would primarily improve light gathering, noise performance, shutter speed, and background separation.

Other rumors suggest that the ‌iPhone 18‌ Pro models could also get a teleconverter to increase the effective focal length and improve the zoom range, as well as a 24-megapixel front-facing camera. They are expected to launch in the fall alongside the first foldable iPhone.