Kuo reiterates variable aperture lens coming to iPhone 18, not 17

There have been consistent reports that we can expect a future iPhone to offer a variable aperture lens within a year or two, but there’s been disagreement about whether the new feature will launch in the iPhone 17 or iPhone 18.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said the major camera upgrade was coming to the iPhone 18, while The Information pointed instead to the iPhone 17. Kuo has now doubled-down on his earlier prediction …

Variable aperture lenses

You can find a detailed explanation with examples in our earlier explainer, but the executive summary of the key benefit is the ability to control the depth of field (DoF) in a photo.

You can have a shallow DoF when you want to isolate the subject from the background, a medium DoF when you want isolation while ensuring the background is still recognizable, or a deep DOF when you want everything in shot to be in focus.

Portrait mode does this artificially, and the latest version is extremely good, but a variable aperture lens does it optically, which offers even better results – subject to a catch which I’ll get to in a moment.

We’ve seen some ability to control DoF through the 5x telephoto lens in the iPhone 15 Pro Max and in both iPhone 16 Pro models. But that’s because longer focal lengths themselves reduce DoF.

You can also achieve optically shallow DOF by getting the camera very close to the subject, as shown in the above photo.

But a variable aperture lens would offer more control in more circumstances.

iPhone 17 or iPhone 18

A report from The Information back in the summer suggested that the new feature would be arriving next year.

The Information reports that “at least one” of the iPhone 17 models next year will include a notable camera upgrade for controlling aperture size “with a mechanical system.”

However, Kuo said last month that it would instead be launching in the iPhone 18.

One major upgrade for the 2026 high-end iPhone 18 is the wide-camera lens upgrading to a variable aperture camera, significantly enhancing the user photography experience. My latest industry survey indicates Sunny Optical will be the primary shutter supplier (with Luxshare as secondary) and the second variable aperture lens supplier (after Largan Precision).

A fresh report from Kuo today doubles down on that timeframe.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s wide camera will upgrade to variable aperture in 2026. BESI is the supplier of assembly equipment for aperture blades, a critical component of this upgrade.

9to5Mac’s Take

I mentioned a catch earlier, and that’s sensor size.

The reason Apple needed to invent an artificial Portrait mode is because smartphone photos tend to have everything in focus – that is, they have a very deep DoF. That’s a direct function of the very small sensors they use. Even with a very wide aperture lens, a small sensor means limited control over DoF.

So any mechanical aperture control would need to be coupled to a larger sensor to deliver meaningful benefits. Apple did boost the sensor size in the iPhone 16, and there have been suggestions that it may do so again in the iPhone 18, though these reports have so far been vague.

Either way, though, tells us that Apple is still very much focused on delivering improved camera capabilities.

Photo: 9to5Mac