Sunny Optical will reportedly be Apple’s primary supplier for the upgraded camera with a variable aperture lens.
iPhone 16 series was launched in September
Photo Credit: Apple
iPhone 18 series is not expected to launch until September 2026, but details of the lineup have already begun to surface online. Most recently, TF Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that Apple will introduce a significant camera upgrade with the iPhone 18 series by packing an updated main camera with a variable aperture. The iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to get this feature first. Apple's rivals like Samsung and Xiaomi offer the same feature on their smartphones, which was initially rumoured to arrive on the iPhone 17 range.
In a Medium post, Kuo revealed his expectations about the iPhone 18 series. The analyst says the high-end models in the 2026 smartphone lineup will be equipped with a new primary camera with a variable aperture that will “significantly enhancing the user photography experience.” Kuo doesn't mention the phones by name, but the 2026 timeline suggests that it will be the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Kuo shared details of the updated camera in an analysis of Sunny Optical's financial prospects for the upcoming years: "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)" he added.
Apple was previously rumoured to add a variable aperture lens to at least one iPhone 17 model in 2025. The latest claim by Kuo appears to suggest that this upgrade will come one year later. All this said, both iPhone 18 and iPhone 17 series are still several months away, and we can expect more expectations about the camera capabilities of the lineups to surface online in the coming months.
Main cameras with variable aperture will adjust their aperture size to control the amount of light hitting the camera sensor, benefiting low-light photography. It offers an enhanced depth of field.
Samsung introduced a variable aperture feature for the main camera back in 2018 with the Galaxy S9 series. Smartphones like Xiaomi 14 Ultra, Oppo R17 Pro, and Honor Magic 6 Pro offer similar features.
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