iPhone 18 Pro to get variable aperture camera first, not iPhone 17 Pro

The iPhone 18 Pro, launching most likely in September of 2026, will be the first Apple model to incorporate variable aperture on its main camera, according to a fresh new report from Ming-Chi Kuo, a prolific source of supply chain-related information pertaining to Apple products.

Kuo did previously mention the debut of this feature on the iPhone 18 Pro, but was contradicted by another report saying it would actually launch next year. Now, Kuo is doubling down on his initial prediction, citing information from BE Semiconductor, which will supply Apple with the assembly equipment for aperture blades.

We've seen variable aperture cameras on plenty of Android flagship phones in recent years, and it looks like Apple took note of the development and plans to incorporate it into its Pro smartphones. The company is a late adopter, as it is prone to be sometimes, but will surely market the tech much better than any Android device maker could - if we go by past innovations and how despite not being first on the market with a feature, Apple generally knows how to make people excited about every single new thing it (finally) adds to its devices.

Source