GoKawiilThe iPhone 18 Pro's biggest upgrade is less about higher resolution, a longer zoom or a new computational Fusion system. This year, it's a physical aperture control. The new model can control how much light enters the lens, opening the door to better low-light photos and more control over depth of field. Variable aperture control moves the iPhone 18 Pro even closer to a truly "pro" camera.
Opening the aperture wider lets in more light, which can boost detail and color in dark conditions. It can also create a shallower depth of field, helping to separate the subject from the background (like in a stark portrait). Narrowing the aperture does the opposite, increasing the depth of field or keeping more of the scene in focus.
The iPhone 18 Pro does this automatically, but you can also take manual control in the Camera app. At its widest, the iPhone 18 Pro reaches f/1.48.
The new iPhones aren't the only ones with a variable aperture. Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S10 used a dual-aperture system that mechanically switched between f/1.5 and f/2.4. (However, Samsung dropped the feature starting with the S20 series.) Huawei and Xiaomi have offered variable aperture cameras, including the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which has a range from f/1.63 to f/4.0.