iPhone 18 Pro Max camera may get this major upgrade — but why isn't iPhone 18 Pro getting it too?

The iPhone 18 Pro Max may not be arriving until next September, but that isn't stopping the leaks from detailing the kind of features and upgrades we should expect from the phone. One of the things we've heard about is a variable aperture camera, but according to Digital Chat Station, this may not be available on the iPhone 18 Pro as rumors previously suggested.

DCS cites supply chain information and states that "In addition to the form upgrade, Pro Max has seen the variable large aperture material," though they don't elaborate on that in any way. The leaker's Weibo post also suggests that the 48MP telephoto lens will also have an increased aperture, again without clarifying what sort of improvement we can expect.

Variable aperture means that the user will be able to adjust the amount of light entering the camera lens. That way, users can better adapt their photos to match the surrounding environments, such as managing exposure in bright conditions or improving the quality of low-light images.

Having such a feature could be a benefit to the iPhone camera, though it's far from the first time we've seen it on a smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy S9 first featured a variable aperture lens back in 2018, only for Samsung to pull the feature a few years later.

We've also seen it show up on other phones in the years since, like the Xiaomi 14, though it's never really been considered a major feature.

More of a split between iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max?

If Digital Chat Station's information is correct, then it means that there's going to be another split between iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. This isn't something we see very often, and in most years the only change between the Pro and Pro Max models is size and battery life — since the larger phone has a bigger battery.

But we have seen instances where Apple upgraded an area of the Pro Max without touching the Pro. iPhone 15 Pro is a good example, since it lacked the tetraprism telephoto lens that was added to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apparently, this was due to there not being room to fit the new lens into the regular Pro, an issue that was solved the following year with the larger iPhone 16 Pro.

It's rare that Apple makes that split, especially not without a valid reason, so what would be the issue with the iPhone 18 Pro? It could be that the size of the variable aperture lens is just too big for the smaller Pro model, as was the case with tetraprism. This would force Apple to either shrink the components or increase the size of the iPhone 19 Pro to squeeze it into the smaller model.

Alternatively, it may be that Apple is only able to produce the new lens in limited quantities. Experience tells us that the Pro Max is incredibly popular, and more consistently so than the iPhone Pro. So it would make more sense to prioritize the Pro Max's camera until production reaches the right levels to sustain two different iPhone models.

Of course, the simplest explanation is that Digital Chat Station is incorrect. Their track record isn't perfect, and plenty of other reliable sources (like analyst Ming-Chi Kuo) have said the variable aperture would be available on both Pro models.

We will just have to wait and see what happens next year. In the meantime, you can keep up to date with all the latest news and rumors in our iPhone 18 hub.

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