{"id":11740,"date":"2026-09-10T05:03:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T03:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/10\/the-iphone-18-pro-is-here-complete-with-a-variable-aperture-and-manual-camera-controls\/"},"modified":"2026-09-10T05:03:28","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T03:03:28","slug":"the-iphone-18-pro-is-here-complete-with-a-variable-aperture-and-manual-camera-controls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.brokenmount.com\/bm\/2026\/09\/10\/the-iphone-18-pro-is-here-complete-with-a-variable-aperture-and-manual-camera-controls\/","title":{"rendered":"The iPhone 18 Pro is here, complete with a variable aperture and manual camera controls"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tApple has unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its annual fall event, both of which feature an adjustable aperture and more control over images and videos.<\/p>\n

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Apple has announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max<\/a> at its annual fall keynote. Although the company started the event with AI features, the standout change in the new models\u2019 camera system is the adjustable aperture. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Apple is pitching the new aperture system as a way to get more \u201ccreative control\u201d while taking images and videos. Contrary to the rumors, the adjustable aperture is available on both sizes of the iPhone Pro. The company says it comprises six laser-cut blades, each thinner than a human hair. <\/p>\n

Like the 17 Pro models, the 18 Pro and Pro Max feature a 48MP main camera with a 24mm equiv. (check) lens. The ultrawide and telephoto cameras are also unchanged from their predecessors, both of which use 48MP Type 1\/2.55 (23.5mm\u00b2) sensors.<\/p>\n

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The main camera is the only one that features the new adjustable aperture system, which can go from F1.48 to F4 (the 17 Pro\u2019s main camera had a fixed F1.78 aperture), allowing for four adjustments. Apple is also finally adding \u201cPro Controls,\u201d which allows users to manually control aperture, white balance and shutter speed, something people have been asking Apple to add for years. Additionally, its Photography Styles option now supports control over grain.<\/p>\n

For video features, the camera supports 4K time-lapses, and you can now use cinematic mode (which adds fake background blur) at up to 4K\/60. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Apple also touched on image authenticity, a hot-button topic in the age of AI. We\u2019ve seen other phone manufacturers, like Google, implement C2PA content credentials<\/a> in their cameras, letting you verify that a photograph hasn\u2019t been altered since it was taken. Now, Apple is following suit, characteristically introducing its own system called Apple Reference Image. <\/p>\n

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The company says it\u2019s made possible by a new sensor in the main camera that \u201ccan sign every pixel it sees.\u201d Photos taken in the \u201cReference mode\u201d will capture \u201csigned sensor data that Private Cloud Compute develops into an unalterable reference image.\u201d Oddly, the Apple Reference Image authenticity feature is not available in China, and won\u2019t be available in the EU to start. <\/p>\n

The company also says it\u2019s adding support for the SynthID standard, which adds an invisible watermark to images created or edited using AI.<\/p>\n

The iPhone 18 Pro features an A20 Pro system on a chip, which has a 6-core CPU with 2 \u201csuper\u201d cores and 4 efficiency cores. It also features a 7-core GPU that Apple says is 40% faster than the previous generation. It should offer double the AI processing capacity as a result of double the neural cores. Apple also says it\u2019s doubled the battery life, despite the battery being smaller. It supports faster wired charging, letting you charge it to 50% in 15 minutes. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

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Apple is offering the Pro in four color options this year, where it\u2019s traditionally been three. It will be available in black, silver, \u201cGlacier\u201d blue, and \u201cBurgundy.\u201d Last year, some people were upset that there wasn\u2019t a black option, so this will likely be a welcome addition to the lineup. <\/p>\n

The iPhone 18 Pro will cost $1199 for the 256GB version, while the Pro Max comes in at $1299. Both the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are $100 more than their predecessors. <\/p>\n

About the Author: <\/span>Abby Ferguson holds an MFA in photography and blends a fine-art background with extensive editorial and commercial experience. She built and led an in-house imaging program for a large vacation rental company and has served as an associate editor at Popular Photography. She also teaches at a local community college and serves on its Photographic Technology Program Advisory Board, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the medium.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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