A variable aperture camera system has entered production for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro models, releasing later this year. The company has not added a variable aperture for the iPhone until today. From the iPhone 14 Pro until the iPhone 17 Pro, the main camera has a 1.78 fixed aperture, which means the lens stays fully open during image capturing.

A variable aperture camera system enables the camera to control how much light is allowed to reach the sensor, and in conditions with low light, it will open to get more light in, while in bright conditions, it will close.

LG Innotek is rumored to take on the bigger production share for the main camera due to the complexity of the system, while Sunny Optical has apparently started producing the actuators for the mechanism at the aperture. The iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro will be released later this year.