One of the few notable upgrades that could arrive with the iPhone 18 Pro series this year is a variable aperture lens. However, implementing such a feature reportedly comes at a high cost for Apple, which could potentially affect the final price of the iPhone 18 Pro models.
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a new post on X that the variable aperture lenses planned for the iPhone 18 Pro models could cost Apple at least 50% more than the camera lenses currently used in the iPhone 17 Pro lineup.
Apple currently uses a seven-element plastic lens in the iPhone 17 Pro series, but switching to a variable aperture system is expected to significantly increase the average selling price of the camera module. In addition, Sunny Optical is reportedly expected to handle around 40% to 50% of Apple’s orders.
Leaked images of the iPhone 18 Pro series suggest that aside from a few new colors and traditional upgrades such as a faster processor, this year’s Pro models may not receive any major changes. Still, adding a variable-aperture lens could be a meaningful improvement for higher-end iPhones.
A 50% increase in the average selling price of variable-aperture lenses could also affect the retail prices of iPhone 18 Pro models, as Apple may need to offset higher production costs. With the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple raised the starting price to $1,099, compared to the iPhone 16 Pro’s $999 launch price. However, the increase was partially justified by the bump in base storage from 128GB to 256GB.
Rumors about Apple adding a variable-aperture lens to the iPhone 18 Pro first emerged in 2024 from Kuo. Earlier this year, Korean outlet ETNews reported that Sunny Optical had already begun production of variable aperture lenses for the iPhone 18 Pro series. The devices are expected to debut in September.
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