Apple Adds 6-Blade Variable Aperture and On-Device Focus Tracking to iPhone 18 Pro

IT Home, September 10 — Apple updated its official documentation today (September 10), announcing the introduction of a Pro-level camera control experience to its two flagship models, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, allowing users to directly control more shooting parameters within the native Camera app. Users can manually adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, as well as assess scene exposure using a real-time histogram. The Camera app can also automatically adjust the aperture based on depth of field and ambient light.

IT Home includes the official description below:

The Camera app on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max features Pro controls, a brand-new customizable experience designed for users to easily access frequently used settings, while also introducing new manual control options. Users can now adjust settings such as lens aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, or use a histogram to view the exposure across the scene.

Featuring a variable aperture, the all-new 48MP Fusion main camera is Apple’s most advanced camera to date, bringing aperture control to the iPhone for the first time and delivering even greater creative control.

In terms of hardware, the new 48MP Fusion main camera utilizes six laser-cut blades driven by a new rotor mechanism, enabling smooth switching across four aperture stops.

Apple has also introduced "Smart Focus Tracking," a feature that leverages on-device artificial intelligence models to lock onto a subject, maintaining focus even if the subject briefly leaves and re-enters the frame.

For video, users can apply cinematic effects after recording to footage captured at up to 60 fps. Apple is also opening up the variable aperture capabilities to developers through new APIs, allowing third-party apps to access the same range of aperture settings.