The iPhone 18 might finally get a camera feature Samsung launched almost 7 years ago

Key Takeaways

The iPhone 18 Pro models are reported to feature an upgraded main rear camera with a variable aperture for the first time.
Samsung introduced similar camera tech back in 2018 with the Galaxy S9, and phones from Xiaomi, Huawei, and Honor currently use it.
A variable aperture on future iPhone models would allow the main camera to control how much light enters the lens.

The top Android phones and iPhones often take cues from each other. One side launches a feature, and it soon pops up on the other. For example, iOS 18 recently introduced features like free app icon arrangement on the home screen, game mode, app lock, and more—features Android has had for quite a while. The same goes for hardware. iPhones were stuck at a 60Hz refresh rate until the iPhone 13 Pro, while Android phones have been at 120Hz since 2017. Now, rumors suggest iPhones are about to get a camera tech that Samsung introduced back in early 2018 with the Galaxy S9.

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The king of the hill has a neighbor

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to feature an upgraded main rear camera with a variable aperture for the first time, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Android Authority). Samsung was actually the first to bring this feature to modern smartphones with the Galaxy S9 series back in 2018. The variable aperture camera disappeared from Android phones for a while, but it has started popping up again in phones from Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor — although Samsung itself seems to have moved on from it.

A variable aperture on future iPhone models would let the main camera control how much light enters the lens. It would also give you more control over depth of field, allowing for sharper focus on subjects or a smoother background blur. The iPhone 18 isn’t expected to launch before 2026, so iPhone users still have a good two years before they see this feature.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra camera in close-up, with light reflecting off half the camera module

Samsung should bring back variable aperture

Now that Apple is rumored to bring variable aperture to the iPhone, chances folks at Samsung are already planning to add it to future Galaxy phones. And if they’re not, they probably should. Phones like the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Huawei Mate 50 Pro have shown that variable aperture can be a game changer, especially for serious photographers. It handles too much light by cutting it down, just like a cinema camera. This leads to smoother, more natural video and makes it easier for the camera to adjust to changing light, like going from a bright outdoor scene to a dim room.