Apple Readies iPhone 18 Pro Max Mechanical Iris With f/1.6-to-f/22 Camera as 2nm A20 Pro Looms
Updated
Updated · Yanko Design · May 19
Apple Readies iPhone 18 Pro Max Mechanical Iris With f/1.6-to-f/22 Camera as 2nm A20 Pro Looms
6 articles · Updated · Yanko Design · May 19
April supply-chain leaks indicate Apple has moved the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s mechanical-iris camera from rumor to production, with Sunny Optical already making the custom actuators.
The hardware would give Apple’s Pro line its first variable aperture—reported at f/1.6 to f/22—shifting more exposure and depth-of-field control from software to optics.
TSMC’s 2nm A20 Pro, reportedly delivering about 30% better efficiency, is expected to help offset the power cost of running mechanical and computational imaging together.
The design tradeoff appears significant: leaks point to an 8.8mm chassis and 240-243 gram weight, reinforcing earlier signs of a much larger camera module.
Samsung’s Galaxy S9 tried a variable aperture in 2018 and abandoned it a year later, leaving Apple’s September launch to test whether the feature can now work reliably at scale.
Is a new variable aperture lens the key to making the iPhone 18 Pro the ultimate professional camera?
Will Apple's first foldable phone steal the show from the new iPhone 18 Pro this fall?
Can Apple's new AI chip and 'Siri 2.0' finally deliver the smart assistant users have been waiting for?