iPhone 18 Pro to Kick Off Apple’s Four-Part Camera Upgrade Plan

Source Domain: www.macrumors.com

Apple is evaluating four camera upgrades for future iPhone models, with the first new feature scheduled for this year’s iPhone 18 Pro models, according to a reputable Chinese leaker.

The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple has implementation plans for the following upgrades:

Variable aperture
1/1.12-inch “ultra-large” main camera sensor
Enhanced optical image stabilization for ultra-wide lens
200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens

The variable aperture is widely rumored to be introduced with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, expected to launch this September. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported in December 2024 that the main rear camera on both ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models will offer variable aperture. More recently in October, a report claimed that Apple is moving ahead with those plans and was discussing components with suppliers.

Apple has never implemented a variable aperture on an iPhone. From the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro, the main camera uses a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, meaning the lens remains fully open at all times when capturing images. In contrast, a variable aperture lets the camera control how much light reaches the sensor. In low-light conditions, it opens to admit more light, while in bright scenes, it closes to avoid overexposure. This should also give users more control over depth of field.

The other camera upgrades the leaker mentioned appear to be ones that Apple is testing for future models beyond the iPhone 18 Pro, with an unclear timeline for implementation.

Regarding the “ultra-large” main sensor, the 1/1.12-inch label is based on a legacy optical format, not a literal measurement. It dates back to video camera tubes, so the number doesn’t correspond directly to the sensor’s physical width. In practice, a 1/1.12-inch sensor has a diagonal of around 14.5mm – far smaller than the label might suggest, but very large by smartphone standards. It’s the same size as Sony’s LYTIA LYT-901,…

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