iPhone 18 Series Leaks: 35% Smaller Dynamic Island, Variable Aperture Camera and Price Increase — The Most Expensive iPhone Ever?

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The front of the iPhone 18 Pro may finally see a significant redesign. Rumors suggest the width of the punch-hole camera will be reduced from 20.76mm to 13.49mm, a reduction of approximately 35%, not the previously reported 50%. It’s still wider than the single punch-hole common on Android phones, but at least it won’t take up such a large area at the top, reducing screen obstruction when watching videos or playing games.

The back might not be as exciting. The camera area that runs the length of the iPhone 17 Pro is expected to be retained, and there are no significant changes to the lens arrangement yet. As for the sensor, there isn’t enough reliable information to suggest an upgrade, so this generation of cameras may not rely on a larger sensor or increased pixel count to create a selling point.

More frequently, rumors circulate that the main camera might incorporate a variable aperture. Its significance doesn’t necessarily mean users will have to manually adjust the aperture daily like with a camera, but rather that the phone will have another way to control the amount of light entering the camera during strong light, low-light conditions, and close-up shots. Whether it’s ultimately useful depends on whether Apple can integrate this hardware into automatic mode, allowing ordinary users to feel the difference when simply raising their hands to take a photo.

A variable aperture sounds novel, but I don’t have high expectations for how much of an improvement it will bring. Android phones have tried similar designs before, and in actual use, many people can’t even feel when it’s on or off, let alone change the photography experience as a result.

Smartphones and cameras are quite different. In most scenarios, smartphones need to let in as much light as possible, especially at night. When the aperture is narrowed, the shutter speed and ISO need to be adjusted accordingly, making it easier for noise, camera shake, or motion blur to occur.

As for increasing depth of field, it’s not as important on a mobile phone as advertised. Mobile phone sensors are inherently small, and in everyday shooting of people and landscapes, the main camera rarely encounters situations where the foreground and background are completely obscured. Sacrificing light intake for a slight change in depth of field is often not worthwhile.

So, if the iPhone 18 Pro really does have a variable aperture, I’m more interested in how Apple will implement it than in how many aperture stops it will actually have. It might be useful for controlling exposure in strong light, or for shooting scenes with lights or flowing water. But for the average person who just picks it up and shoots, the final difference might not be as noticeable as the specifications suggest.

The screen upgrade on the iPhone 18 Pro might not be as noticeable as the smaller refresh rate of the LED display. The rumored LTPO+ isn’t primarily about pushing the refresh rate even higher, but rather about finer control over pixel current, resulting in less power consumption in scenarios like still images and always-on displays. You might not immediately notice the difference after a day’s use, but over a longer period, battery life might be more meaningful than the brightness figure.

Samsung’s new generation M16 OLED material has also appeared in supply chain news, with the direction being nothing more than brighter, more energy-efficient, and more stable colors. These all sound like routine upgrades, but screens rarely show a sudden difference based on a single parameter; rather, it’s usually a combination of several small changes.

iOS 27 has already been announced. The new Siri can understand the content on the screen and in the camera lens, and Image Playground can generate wallpapers based on text descriptions.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are still projected to launch this September. Whether prices will rise is still uncertain, but cost pressures are undeniable: memory chips are becoming more expensive, and the procurement cost of the variable aperture lens itself is reportedly about 50% higher than existing solutions. This refers to the lens components, not a direct 50% increase in the phone’s price.

Therefore, this generation is unlikely to rely on a major redesign to create a sense of novelty. A slightly more power-efficient screen, an additional mechanical structure in the camera, and a smarter Siri—none of these on their own are groundbreaking changes. What truly matters is whether these changes will ultimately be reflected in the price.

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