iPhone 18 Pro to feature massive camera upgrades

Apple is preparing massive upgrades for its upcoming iPhone 18 Pro series, with new leaks revealing a thicker camera module designed to house a highly anticipated variable aperture system.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to be revealed in September, alongside the premium foldable iPhone Ultra. According to a Weibo post from the well-known tech leaker Fixed Focus Digital, the main camera on the new Pro models will see a significant physical enhancement.

The leak suggests that the rear aluminum alloy backplate will be 2mm thicker to allow for an enlarged main camera module. This additional space is reportedly necessary for the new variable aperture system, which uses mechanical blades to adjust the aperture.

In bright conditions, the aperture can close to a higher f-stop to prevent overexposure, while it can open wide in darker environments to capture more light and reduce image noise.

Although this represents a prominent upgrade for Apple, the technology itself is not entirely new to the smartphone industry. In 2022, Huawei first introduced a multiple-stop variable aperture with the Mate 50 Pro, and back in 2018, Samsung launched a dual-aperture system on the Galaxy S9 series.

Beyond the camera hardware, the iPhone 18 Pro series will achieve a milestone in mobile processing. These will be the first Apple devices powered by the A20 Pro, a chipset manufactured on TSMC’s cutting-edge 2nm process node and featuring a Gate-All-Around (GAA) transistor architecture.

This advanced design reduces current leaks and is expected to deliver up to a 15 percent improvement in CPU speed compared to the previous generation.

Earlier this year, Samsung introduced the first 2nm mobile processor, the Exynos 2600, in international variants of the Galaxy S26 series. Now, Apple is set to bring this ultra-efficient 2nm technology to its global flagship lineup.

Notably, Apple is to adopt a split launch strategy for this product cycle. At the same time, the premium iPhone 18 Pro models are planned for a fall release. However, the standard iPhone 18, the budget-friendly iPhone 18e, and the ultra-thin iPhone Air 2 have reportedly been delayed till spring 2027.