The iPhone 18 Pro Max isn't going to be revealed until the Apple event tomorrow, but a bunch of possible camera features just leaked, and it comes from the most trustworthy source of all: Apple's own code. Specifically the code for the iOS 27 beta, with a deep dive from Macrumors forum member pdfu uncovering references to five new camera features.
It's unclear whether these features are destined to arrive with the iPhone 18 Pro this week, or whether they'll be added as part of a future software update. But some of them do seem to suggest that the rumors of a variable aperture lens may be true after all.
Here are the five referenced features that could be coming to iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max:
Exposure scopes: This feature will apparently allow the camera app to display a waveform or histogram to help users gauge exposure levels when taking photos.
A histogram is capable of showing how much of the image is too dark or bright, as well as everything in between. A waveform is capable of displaying similar information, but makes it a lot easier to identify specific areas of the image in the process.
Focus peaking and highlight warnings: These two features add an overlay featuring new information on the camera screen. Focus peaking highlights objects that are in the sharpest focus, while a separate overlay can warn you when parts of the photo are being overexposed.
Apparently these warnings will be able to utilize solid or pulsing colors, diagonal stripes and checkerboard pattern options.
Repeated self-timer shots: Currently the iPhone camera app only lets you take a single timed shot at a time, but code references suggest the option to repeat the process is on the way.
In this instance it won't be a case of multiple shots being taken back to back, instead the countdown will restart as soon as the first photo is taken — giving you time to repose without having to set the whole process up again.
Manual focus: A mainstay on standalone cameras, and one that Apple has attempted before in iOS 26. Apple removed the focus slider in the iOS 27 beta, but it looks like it might be coming back.
The focus code is there, but it's seemingly being restricted to devices that ship with iOS 27 — which means it'll be restricted to the newest iPhones and not devices that have been released before.
Aperture-based image correction: This one appears to be a change to the way iPhones process photos, and that could be more directly tied to the variable aperture lens.
This feature will apparently let iOS 27 adjust lens corrections based on the aperture setting, and blends four different reference points to smooth out the result after the fact.
The first three features could apply to any iPhone running iOS 27, but the latter two are the most interesting. Obviously aperture on iPhone cameras doesn't change that much between lenses, though it's not as though they're all identical.
However, the fact that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to have variable aperture would make aperture-based corrections a much more important feature — especially if you can customize it, rather than sticking with pre-set aperture settings. Likewise, the fact that the manual focus is seemingly limited to new iPhones means there could be a big focus on new camera capabilities — even if the hardware is staying more or less the same.
None of these features are accessible in the current version of the iOS 27 beta, which suggests they won't be landing with the public release of the software. So we'll have to wait until the Surprise and shine event to find out whether they're exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra, or if they may be coming to a future iOS 27 update.
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