Overview
- Apple announced on Sept. 9 that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max include a new 48MP main camera with a physical variable aperture.
- The production design uses six laser-cut mechanical blades that select between four discrete apertures: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0.
- A new Pro controls panel exposes manual aperture, shutter speed, white balance, focus and a live histogram so users can set exposure and depth of field directly.
- The Camera app includes a Reference capture mode that cryptographically signs sensor data and stores an unalterable reference image for later authenticity checks.
- Industry coverage notes practical trade-offs because similar variable-aperture systems were tried then dropped by other phone makers and mechanical blades raise durability, cost and thickness questions for future adoption.