GoKawiiliPhone owners can get blurred backgrounds without the iPhone 18 Pro's wider aperture
A photography guide explains that Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro has a slightly wider variable aperture (f/1.48 vs f/1.78) than its predecessor, theoretically producing shallower depth of field. However, it outlines four techniques—Portrait mode, Macro mode, shooting close to a subject, and using the telephoto lens—that let owners of older iPhones create similar background-blur effects without upgrading.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This underscores that many camera improvements marketed as hardware breakthroughs can often be replicated through software techniques or shooting habits already available on existing devices. For consumers, it's a reminder that upgrade cycles are sometimes driven by marginal specs rather than capabilities unavailable elsewhere.
- The iPhone 18 Pro's aperture change is a modest improvement, not a revolutionary one.
- Portrait and Macro modes use computational photography to mimic shallow depth of field.
- Getting physically closer to a subject or using telephoto lenses can replicate the same blur effect on older iPhones.
Moment Macro 10x Lens for iPhone — If the article's macro-mode trick has you hooked, Moment's 10x macro lens pushes your existing iPhone far closer than the built-in camera alone, giving that razor-thin depth of field naturally instead of with software blur. It clips onto a Moment-compatible case so you can swap it on in seconds, no iPhone 18 Pro upgrade required.
See Moment Macro 10x Lens for iPhone on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: 9to5mac.com — Ben Lovejoy, 2026-09-11
Published there as: “Four ways to achieve shallow depth of field without buying the iPhone 18 Pro”
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