Kuo: Apple’s iPhone camera roadmap includes a costly upgrade
Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro camera upgrade will raise component costs, while a 2028 ultra-wide module change is also in the works.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s next iPhone Pro camera changes will be more expensive to build, especially a variable-aperture main lens for the iPhone 18 Pro. He also points to a later ultra-wide camera packaging change planned for 2028 iPhones.
Apple may change the iPhone camera in a big way. One part would let the camera open and close a bit like a window blind, which can help photos look better in different light.
The catch is that this new part costs more to make. That matters because Apple already has other parts getting more expensive too.
Farther in the future, Apple may also build another camera part in a new way. It is like changing how a toy is put together so it can be made differently, even if it still looks like the same toy from the outside.
Analysis
Camera changes on the near-term roadmap
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro will use a variable-aperture main camera lens, replacing the current fixed-aperture setup. The key point in his note is cost: he says the new lens system will have a 50% higher average selling price than Apple’s current high-end 7P lens system.
Kuo says Apple expects to source 40% to 50% of those parts from Sunny Optical, while Largan remains the primary supplier. The article notes that this does not automatically mean Apple will raise the price of the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it does add pressure at a time when Apple is already facing rising memory costs.
A later change for the ultra-wide camera
Kuo also shared a separate point about 2028 iPhones. He says the ultra-wide compact camera module is expected to drop flip-chip packaging and move to an improved chip-on-board design instead. In practical terms, that means Apple is planning a different way to build and connect the camera module.
The article does not spell out the technical advantage of the new approach, but it says Sunny Optical appears well positioned to become a supplier there too. Taken together, the report suggests Apple is working through both immediate camera upgrades and longer-term manufacturing shifts, with suppliers likely to matter as much as the camera features themselves.
Key points
- Ming-Chi Kuo says the iPhone 18 Pro will get a variable-aperture main camera lens.
- He says that lens system will cost about 50% more on average than Apple’s current high-end 7P lens setup.
- Sunny Optical is expected to supply 40% to 50% of the new components, with Largan still the main supplier.
- Apple is already facing higher memory costs, which could squeeze margins further.
- Kuo also says 2028 iPhones may switch their ultra-wide camera module from flip-chip packaging to improved chip-on-board design.
