Samsung reportedly developing cameras with variable aperture technology

Rumors have been circulating for months that the successor to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature a variable-aperture camera for the first time since the Galaxy S10 in 2019. Now, a report from ET News, citing information from industry insiders, confirms that Samsung Electronics is indeed developing such a camera, but that it is primarily intended for flagship cameras from Chinese manufacturers and for the Apple iPhone; it may not be ready for market in time for the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Apple is said to be considering a variable-aperture camera only for the iPhone 19 Pro in 2027, but Chinese smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi are reportedly interested in launching several premium smartphones with variable apertures as early as the second half of next year. Currently, Huawei is the primary manufacturer of smartphones with variable apertures, while even the main camera of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a non-adjustable aperture of f/1.6.

Combined with the relatively large 1-inch sensor, this results in limited depth of field, which can prevent the entire subject from being sharply captured, especially in landscape or group photos with objects in the foreground and background. According to ET News, many manufacturers have dispensed with variable apertures in recent years because they make cameras both larger and more expensive. However, now that the megapixel race has come to a temporary halt at 200 MP and the sensor size race at 1-inch sensors, manufacturers are now considering variable apertures as the next turning point for flagship cameras.