iPhone 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.