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The variable aperture isn’t the cool part of the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro features a variable aperture in its main camera, allowing for f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4 settings. The variable aperture is not the standout feature, as smartphone sensors are still small and most subjects are in focus at these settings.

By Antonio G. Di Benedetto·Sep 10·theverge.com·2 min read

Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)

268734_iPhone_2026_event_handson_ADiBenedetto_0023
268734_iPhone_2026_event_handson_ADiBenedetto_0023Image: theverge.com

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro features a variable aperture in its main camera, but the variable aperture is not the standout feature. The camera’s f/1.48 maximum aperture is more useful for specific situations, such as group shots and bright lighting.

Why it matters

The iPhone 18 Pro’s camera features a variable aperture, which is a new and exciting addition to the iPhone camera lineup. However, the variable aperture is not the standout feature, as smartphone sensors are still small and most subjects are in focus at these settings.

The iPhone 18 Pro has a new feature that lets you choose how much light goes into the camera. It's not the most exciting feature, but it can help take better photos in certain situations, like group shots and bright lighting.

Analysis

{"

Smartphone Sensors and Aperture":"Smartphone sensors are still relatively small compared to full-frame cameras. The iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture allows for more flexibility in shooting, particularly for close-up subjects and bright lighting situations. However, the variable aperture is not expected to have a significant impact on the overall quality of the photos taken.","

Depth of Field":"The depth of field is more important than the aperture setting. The iPhone 18 Pro’s f/1.48 maximum aperture is likely to have a slight shallower depth of field compared to the f/1.7 aperture of the previous year’s Pro iPhone cameras. However, the difference is unlikely to be noticeable to most users.","

Bokeh and Portrait Modes":"The variable aperture is more useful for achieving the look that people often want to emulate, which is a shallow depth of field and blurred background. The iPhone 18 Pro’s f/1.48 maximum aperture is likely to have a similar effect to an f/1.2 aperture on full-frame cameras, which is the look that people often want to emulate in Portrait Modes on smartphones."}

Key points

  • The iPhone 18 Pro features a variable aperture in its main camera, allowing for f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4 settings.
  • The variable aperture is not the standout feature, as smartphone sensors are still small and most subjects are in focus at these settings.
  • The f/1.48 maximum aperture is more useful for specific situations, such as group shots and bright lighting.
  • The variable aperture is more useful for achieving the look that people often want to emulate, which is a shallow depth of field and blurred background.
  • The iPhone 18 Pro’s f/1.48 maximum aperture is likely to have a similar effect to an f/1.2 aperture on full-frame cameras, which is the look that people often want to emulate in Portrait Modes on smartphones.
The Upside

The variable aperture will allow users to take better photos in specific situations, such as group shots and bright lighting. This feature will be useful for those who want to take more creative photos.

The Downside

The variable aperture may not have a significant impact on the overall quality of the photos taken. The difference in depth of field between f/1.48 and f/1.7 is unlikely to be noticeable to most users.

Originally reported at

theverge.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagshardwaremobiletechiphonecamera

Author

Antonio G. Di Benedetto

Intelligence analysis by

Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Published

Sep 10, 2026

Source

theverge.com

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Topics

hardwaremobiletechiphonecamera

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