GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max bring a redesigned back where the glass camera cutout now matches the aluminum color, addressing criticism of last year's contrasting two-tone look. The phones also gain a variable aperture camera, faster performance, longer battery life, and added weight, and come in burgundy, glacier, silver, and black.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro introduces a variable aperture camera with six blades controlled by a rotor, letting users choose between four settings from f/1.48 to f/4.0 directly in the Camera app. The update is paired with other imaging features including cinematic effects for standard video, Apple Reference Image, Photographic Styles 3, and an Audio Mix tool for music. According to early hands-on testing, the new aperture control produces more natural soft-focus effects than the phone's existing Portrait mode.
Apple has started taking pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which feature a variable aperture camera, a shrunken Dynamic Island capable of showing three Live Activities, and the new A20 Pro chip with faster GPU and memory performance. The phones start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, with storage up to 2TB, and ship beginning September 18.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro both pack triple rear-camera systems with roughly 48-50MP sensors and telephoto lenses reaching high zoom levels, but their approaches differ sharply. Google leans on AI to automate exposure, night shots, and zoom via features like Instant Night Sight and Pro Zoom, while Apple adds a variable-aperture lens and manual controls for shutter speed and white balance alongside a new anti-fakery Reference Image tool.
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.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature a Main camera with a wider f/1.48 maximum aperture, up from f/1.7 on last year's models. While variable aperture is the marquee addition to the camera system, this fixed aperture upgrade may matter more to everyday users who don't touch the phone's manual Pro controls.
At Apple's keynote unveiling new iPhones, the standout for this writer wasn't the visually striking iPhone Duo but the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, both of which now include a variable aperture lens with manual control options. Apple also appears to be pairing this hardware change with computational photography to improve Portrait mode results, based on sample images shown at the event.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, unveiled at its 'Surprise and shine' event, introduce a mechanical variable aperture camera with four selectable f-stops plus an automatic mode. Testing at Apple Park showed the feature can produce sharp starburst effects around bright light sources, a result of how the physical aperture blades converge when stopped down.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max introduce a mechanical variable aperture ranging from f/1.48 to f/4, alongside new manual controls for shutter speed, white balance, and focus built directly into the native camera app. These capabilities previously required third-party apps like Halide, but are now integrated natively.
Engadget's podcast hosts Devindra Hardawar and Karissa Bell discuss Apple's newly unveiled iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable phone, and how it compares to Samsung's earlier foldable designs. They also cover the iPhone 18 Pro, which introduces a variable aperture camera but is expected to draw less attention than the Duo this year.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max introduce a mechanical variable aperture with laser-cut blades, offering four manual settings from f/1.48 to f/4.0. The feature works alongside a new sensor, persistent subject tracking, expanded Pro controls, and a new 'Reference' mode to give photographers more control over depth of field and exposure without changing shutter speed.
Apple has released the iPhone 18 Pro, introducing a variable-aperture camera system as its headline hardware feature. The upgrade allows the camera to adjust its aperture opening, a capability previously reserved for dedicated cameras and rarely seen in smartphones.