The iPhone 17 lineup is still nearly a year from its launch. However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has already shifted his focus to what Apple might reveal in 2026. He has particularly highlighted the potential for major camera upgrades with what he refers to as 'the 2026 high-end iPhone 18'.
Speculations on iPhone Models
Kuo doesn’t explicitly mention the model names, but it’s likely he’s referring to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. To give some context, Apple is expected to debut a new 48 MP periscope telephoto camera with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which we talked about during the summer. Even more significant enhancements could be on the horizon for the next iteration.
Exciting Camera Innovations
As per Kuo, Apple is aiming to incorporate a variable aperture feature for the main cameras on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. While detailed information is limited at this stage, Kuo projects that Sunny Optical Technology and Luxshare will be the primary and secondary suppliers respectively.
In theory, a variable aperture would enable the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to achieve a superior depth of field compared to current competitors like the Pixel 9 Pro XL or the Galaxy S24 Ultra (currently $945 on Amazon). Nevertheless, it’s uncertain if Apple will match the advancements made by Huawei or Xiaomi, who have been able to create flagship devices with f/1.6-4.0 and f/1.4-4.0 variable apertures, respectively.
Ming-Chi Kuo, Sayan Majhi (Unsplash) - Image credit
