It seems we are on the cusp of a new era and a major turning point in the history of smartphone cameras. Development is no longer limited to increasing megapixel count or relying almost entirely on software processing and artificial intelligence; it has shifted to the very heart of the lenses themselves. Recent reports indicate that Apple plans to introduce a significant leap forward in the iPhone 18 Pro with a variable aperture feature, a move that has thrown competitors, especially Samsung, into disarray as they scramble to catch up.
Apple reinvents lenses in the iPhone 18 Pro
The well-known leaker Digital Chat Station revealed via the Chinese platform Weibo that Apple is currently working on two major camera upgrades: a main camera with a variable aperture, and a wide-aperture telephoto zoom lens.
These leaks are supported by previous predictions from renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who indicated in late 2024 that Apple was aiming to integrate this technology exclusively into its Pro models. Furthermore, Korean reports in October 2025 corroborated this, stating that Apple had already begun in-depth discussions with suppliers to secure the necessary precision mechanical components for this technology.
Samsung is monitoring the situation and preparing to respond.
On the other hand, according to a recent report published by Hartley Charlton, citing the Korean website ET News, Samsung has already begun directing its partners to develop prototypes of interchangeable lenses.
What's interesting is that Samsung was a pioneer in this field previously, having introduced this technology in its Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 phones in 2018 and 2019, but later abandoned it due to the high cost and increased thickness of the phone.
Now, with leaks about Apple’s plans and its move towards this technology, Samsung sees returning to it as an “urgent necessity” to remain competitive, preferring to replace software solutions with real mechanical solutions, and striving to reduce cost and size to avoid the mistakes of the past.
What will change in your photography experience?
Current iPhone cameras, from the iPhone 14 Pro to the iPhone 17 Pro, rely on a "fixed aperture," meaning they always allow a specific amount of light to pass through. The amount of light entering the sensor and the resulting depth of field (blur) are controlled by the phone's software.
As for the “variable aperture,” it mimics the workings of the human eye or professional DSLR cameras, where it can be mechanically narrowed or widened:
◉ In low light: The lens aperture is widened to the maximum extent possible to allow the greatest amount of light to pass through, producing crisp images and stunning detail without the need for intensive digital processing.
◉ In bright light: The lens is mechanically narrowed to prevent over-exposure and to ensure finer details.
◉ True background isolation: This technology gives you a true “depth of field,” which makes the background blurred or what is known as the true and natural “bokeh” effect resulting from the refraction of light through the lenses, and not through artificial intelligence processing that may sometimes make mistakes in identifying hair or edges.
Technical challenge and suppliers
These moves demonstrate that the tech giants have realized that software processing alone is insufficient to achieve cinematic quality. Apple and Samsung are aiming to miniaturize these mechanical components to ensure the phone doesn't become too thick. Companies like Largan Precision and Sunny Optical are emerging as potential suppliers of this complex technology. It seems the competition will no longer be limited to megapixel count, but will focus on who can offer the most intelligent optical system capable of emulating cinematic cameras.
If things go as planned, the iPhone 18 Pro could be the device that makes us completely dispense with carrying heavy cameras on our trips.
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