New Delhi: Apple is preparing a major camera upgrade for its next flagship lineup, and early supply chain signals suggest a big shift is underway. A report by ETNews says that parts that are used in a new variable aperture system have already reached the manufacturing stage even before the expected September rollout.
This is a major difference to the traditionally styled camera at Apple. The company has been using a constant ƒ/1.78 aperture on the primary sensor since the iPhone 14 Pro. The new iPhone 18 Pro models may have this feature (which is widely available in professional cameras) to provide users with greater versatility in various lighting scenarios.
What is variable aperture and why it matters?
Aperture can be adjusted physically by a variable aperture, giving the camera lens the ability to open and close the aperture varyingly to control the amount of light reaching the sensor. The lens aperture is opened in low-light situations to see more details. It becomes slit in glare conditions to avoid overexposure.
Such a change will bring better image quality and also provide users with better control of depth of field. The outcome might be higher-quality images, more realistic background blur, and better performance in low-light situations – something that smartphone users have been longing to use.
Apple’s supply chain gears up
This upgrade was first alluded to by industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo as early as the end of 2024, and current reports indicate that Apple has already entered into full production. A Chinese optics manufacturer, Sunny Optical, is reported to have begun manufacturing important actuator parts needed in the aperture mechanism.
In the meantime, LG Innotek will start the assembly of camera modules in its Gumi plant in mid-2026. Scaling production is also being alleged to other manufacturers, such as Cowell.
iPhone 18 Pro Max camera (expected)
The aperture system is a variable which makes the camera module more complex. Consequently, LG Innotek will probably assume a bigger portion of the manufacturing, such as that which occurred with the tetraprism zoom lens that was unveiled in the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
This implies that Apple can start with a small number of suppliers to retain quality control at the initial rollout stage.
iPhone 18 Pro Max launch (expected)
The iPhone 18 Pro Max and its brothers will be released approximately in September. It is also reported that they might be released along with the first foldable iPhone made by Apple, which will be one of the largest hardware events of the company in years.
In case these leaks are true, the iPhone 18 Pro range will possibly provide one of the most significant camera improvements in recent Apple history – the ability to bring smartphone photography to the level of professional performance.