Apple iPhone 18 Pro adds variable aperture and expanded manual camera controls
The iPhone 18 Pro introduces a moving aperture, new manual exposure settings and a reference-image feature, while retaining a price increase of $100 over the previous model.
Apple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 18 Pro, arrives with a variable-aperture camera system that can shift between f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4. The wider maximum aperture offers modest improvements in low-light performance and a slightly shorter Night Mode capture time, while the smaller apertures can extend depth of field for close-up shots. By default the camera selects the appropriate aperture automatically, but users can now access manual controls for exposure, shutter speed, white balance and focus within the native app.
"The camera is indeed capturing a single frame rather than using the typical multi-frame processing," Apple spokesperson Stephanie Ng said, noting that this mode reduces dynamic range but provides a less-processed image.
The device is powered by the new A20 Pro processor and features an upgraded vapor-chamber thermal design intended to sustain peak performance longer. It also incorporates Apple’s first in-house C2 cellular modem paired with the N1 wireless chip. Battery capacity has been modestly increased, with Apple quoting 36 hours of video playback for the 256 GB model, up from 33 hours on the iPhone 17 Pro.
Pricing starts at $1,199 for the 256 GB iPhone 18 Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max, with higher storage options costing up to $2,399 and $2,499 respectively. Storage upgrades are notably more expensive than previous generations.
Apple also introduced a “Reference Image” mode that embeds encrypted sensor data in photos to help verify authenticity. The feature requires activation in Settings and produces larger files—about twice the size of standard images—while allowing third-party apps to read the embedded data via a forthcoming API.
Other updates include a smaller Dynamic Island, a new wrist-strap accessory for Pro cases, and iOS 27 with an AI-enhanced Siri. Video capabilities receive AI-driven focus tracking and post-capture conversion to Cinematic mode, with file sizes comparable to the prior generation.
Overall, the iPhone 18 Pro offers incremental camera improvements and additional manual controls, but the changes are modest compared with the previous model.