iPhone 18 Pro Adds Variable Aperture, but Gains Are Modest

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max bring a familiar design that is close enough to the iPhone 17 Pro for the same cases to fit, according to The Verge’s Allison Johnson. Their main new camera feature is a variable aperture.

Apple’s main camera can now adjust how much light reaches its sensor. The maximum aperture is wider at f/1.48 versus f/1.8, while smaller settings are available at f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4.

The wider f/1.48 setting can help in low-light photography and may allow a slightly shorter Night Mode capture than f/1.8. The narrower settings can extend depth of field, keeping more of a nearby subject in focus. However, Johnson reports that the differences are generally marginal, partly because smartphone cameras already use computational methods to handle low light.

The iPhone 18 Pro also has redesigned thermal management that lets its A20 Pro chip sustain full performance for longer. Still, the overall experience remains highly iterative. For most owners of an iPhone 17 Pro, the camera changes may not provide a compelling reason to upgrade unless they are committed smartphone photographers.