A group photo where even the back row is sharp, or a portrait with a softer background. A variable aperture gives you more control over what appears sharp in the frame. Apple is bringing that option to the iPhone 18 Pro. But how much difference does it actually make when you take photos?
Announced on September 9, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature a 48-megapixel main camera with a physically adjustable aperture. Six blades change the size of the opening that lets light in. Apple lists settings including f/1.48 and f/4, with four positions that can be selected manually.
What changes in your photo?
The aperture controls how much light enters the camera and also affects depth of field, the area in front of and behind the focus point that appears acceptably sharp. A low f-number means a wide opening, more light and a shallower depth of field. A higher f-number makes the opening smaller and increases depth of field. Want to learn more about lens speed and aperture? Read our guide to lenses for beginners.
This already happens when the photo is taken, because the lens opening physically changes. With software-generated background blur, the phone calculates which parts of the image should be softened. Optical blur occurs naturally during capture, without software first having to identify the edge of someone’s hair or glasses.
Do not expect the background blur of a full-frame camera with a fast portrait lens, though. At a comparable angle of view and framing, a smartphone naturally has a relatively large depth of field. The difference is most noticeable at close range and when there is enough distance between your subject and the background.
The back row matters too
A practical example is a group photo with people standing at different distances. Focus on the front row and the faces behind them may appear slightly softer. Closing the aperture increases the range in which everyone appears sharp in the photo.
There is a trade-off: a smaller opening lets in less light. The camera has to compensate with a slower shutter speed, a higher ISO setting or additional image processing. In a dark room, a slower shutter speed can introduce motion blur. More depth of field is of little use if someone moves during the exposure.
The best setting therefore depends on the situation. Outdoors, when there is enough light, you have more room to close the aperture. Indoors, a wider opening may be the better choice. Asking people to stand at roughly the same distance from the camera also remains a simple way to keep everyone sharp.
More light when it gets dark
In low light, the opposite applies: you want the lens opening to be as wide as possible. According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro’s main camera can open to f/1.48. This allows more light to reach the sensor than a smaller aperture would, leaving room for a faster shutter speed or a lower ISO setting.
This sample image from Apple shows a scene with deep shadows and red and teal light. Extra light-gathering ability is particularly useful in atmospheric lighting like this. You cannot tell from a single photo how much of the result is due to the aperture, as the sensor and image processing also play a part.
Take control yourself
Apple is also adding Pro controls to the Camera app, allowing you to set the aperture, shutter speed and white balance manually. A histogram helps you assess the exposure. This gives you more influence over how the photo will look before you press the shutter button.
Shutter speed in particular can give an image a completely different character. A fast shutter speed freezes children playing or a cyclist riding past. A slower shutter speed makes movement visible instead. Think of passers-by appearing as blurred shapes while someone standing still is recorded sharply. That contrast immediately adds more dynamism to an everyday scene.
For a shot like this, you need to hold the phone as steady as possible. Brace it against a wall or use a small tripod so that camera movement does not blur the surroundings as well. Ask the person who should remain sharp to stand still for a moment. The right shutter speed depends on how quickly the others are moving and how much blur you want to see.
White balance determines whether the photo looks warmer or cooler. The histogram also helps you assess exposure. The variable aperture gives you more control over the look of your photo. Aperture, shutter speed and ISO work together, so experimenting with them will show you when you can trust the automatic mode and when it is better to take control yourself.
You can also take more deliberate photos with earlier iPhones by configuring the camera properly. Check these five iPhone camera settings you really should review.
More control over skin texture
In addition to the optical changes, Apple is updating Photographic Styles with controls for texture and grain. These let you adjust how skin is rendered in a portrait to suit your taste. This sample image shows the ‘soft skin’ look, which uses image processing to render skin more softly.
With skin texture, finding the right balance is what matters. A softer rendering can be flattering, but pores, freckles and fine lines also give a face character. Take a closer look at the result: does the skin still look natural, and does the softness suit the rest of the image? This lets you refine a portrait without losing what makes the face distinctive.
Reference Image: an image for comparison
With Reference Image, which Apple calls ‘Referentieafbeelding’ in Dutch, signed sensor data is converted into a non-editable reference image using Private Cloud Compute. You can view it alongside the final photo to identify any changes.
There is currently a limitation for users in the Netherlands. At launch, you cannot use reference mode to capture such images yourself. You can, however, view existing reference images and compare them with the final photo.
Such a comparison can show what was changed afterwards. It does not guarantee that the scene itself is truthful, as a moment may have been staged and a crop can leave out context. Its main value lies in letting you compare the original capture with the final image.
Price and availability
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at €1,479 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at €1,629, both with 256 GB of storage. Pre-orders open on September 12, with the phones available from September 18. Four colours are available: black, silver, glacier and burgundy.
