Apple is actively testing two major improvements to its rear camera. iPhoneAccording to a reputable leaker.

Weibo user known as “”digital chat station“Apple claims to be testing a new main camera for iPhone with a variable aperture. Variable aperture allows the camera to adjust the amount of light that reaches the sensor. This means that in dark environments the aperture opens to receive more light. This means that in bright environments the aperture can be closed to prevent overexposure. It should also give the user more control over depth of field (which refers to how sharp the foreground subject appears compared to the background).

This claim confirms many previous rumors. iPhone18 Pro and iPhone 18‌ Pro Max have an upgraded main camera with variable aperture. in December 2024Apple Supply Chain Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo We initially mentioned that the main rear camera of both iPhone 18 Pro models offers variable aperture. More recent reports from October 2025 Apple said it plans to bring the technology to the next generation of iPhones and is talking to suppliers about components.

Apple has never used variable aperture in iPhone cameras. The main camera on all iPhone 14 Pros is iPhone17 pro The aperture of the model is fixed at ƒ/1.78, and the lens is always fully open and shoots at this aperture. Samsung Electronics previously included variable aperture cameras in its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 models in 2018 and 2019, but removed the feature in 2020 due to increased thickness and higher prices.

2nd leaker repeated Their claim is that Apple is testing a new telephoto camera with a larger aperture for the iPhone 18 Pro. iPhone 17 Pro models have a telephoto camera with an ƒ/2.8 aperture. The camera has been upgraded to a 48-megapixel sensor, a significant improvement over the 12-megapixel sensor used in the previous generation, while maintaining the same aperture size. Increasing the aperture of your iPhone’s telephoto camera mainly improves light gathering, noise performance, shutter speed, and background separation.

Other rumors suggest an iPhone 18 Pro model too. teleconverter In addition to increasing the effective focal length and improving the zoom range, 24 megapixel front camera. It is scheduled to be released in the fall along with the first foldable iPhone.