Apple iPhone 18 Pro: Most exciting camera upgrade said to be iPhone 18 Pro Max exclusive

Ever since the extensive Tata Electronics leak, it has been clear that the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a main camera with a Sony IMX905 sensor and a variable aperture, though, as usual, it will be a 48-megapixel sensor in the 1/1.28-inch format. However, this leak did not reveal any details about the more compact iPhone 18 Pro.

Rumors have so far assumed that both models will offer the same cameras, as was the case with the iPhone 17 Pro ($1,108 on Amazon). According to the latest information from the usually very reliable leaker Ice Universe, however, this is not the case – the variable aperture is said to be exclusively featured on the larger and more expensive iPhone 18 Pro Max, but not on the iPhone 18 Pro. The main reason for this is likely production costs, as the variable aperture is said to make the main camera 50 percent more expensive to manufacture. The additional space required could also pose a problem for the more compact model.

For precisely these reasons, Samsung is said to have already decided against a variable aperture for the Galaxy S27 Ultra. A variable aperture offers smartphone photographers one key advantage: control over the depth of field in a photo or video. For example, when taking a photo of a person with the iPhone 17 Pro's main camera, the background is inevitably somewhat out of focus, which can mean that not all faces are in sharp focus in group photos. However, simply using a smaller aperture would compromise image quality in low-light conditions, which is why a variable aperture is the more flexible solution.