Variable Aperture
A technology in which the size of a lens aperture can be physically adjusted to control the amount of incoming light and depth of field, improving low-light shooting and optical quality.
Timeline (last 90 days)
Previously, some Huawei and Xiaomi models have already adopted variable aperture technology multiple times.
Variable aperture means the lens aperture size can be physically adjusted, rather than being fixed as on the vast majority of phones.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max uses variable aperture technology, enabling it to compete with the top Android devices in low-light environments.
Samsung, Nokia, and Honor have all more or less tried variable aperture technology over the past decade.
Variable aperture went from an optional feature to a necessary outlet because it simultaneously solves the two contradictions of excessively shallow depth of field caused by large sensors and the trade-off in low-light controllability.
The variable aperture is one of the few physical-level breakthroughs in iPhone imaging hardware in recent years, as optical parameters such as aperture had long been fixed.
Variable aperture is a structural innovation at the hardware level that changes the fundamental way light enters the lens, rather than relying solely on post-processing algorithms to compensate.
Previously, most smartphone main cameras used fixed apertures and could only rely on software algorithms and adjustments to ISO and shutter speed to adapt to different lighting conditions.
Apple is positioning variable aperture as the headline feature of the iPhone 18 Pro because a tangible mechanical structure is easier to communicate to ordinary consumers than abstract algorithmic optimization.
Variable aperture can achieve smooth exposure transitions in video shooting, avoiding sudden jumps in brightness.
2 more timeline events
All Facts (12)
Variable aperture can actively regulate the amount of incoming light, providing computational photography algorithms with more controllable variables and optimization space.
60%UnverifiedPreviously, some Huawei and Xiaomi models have already adopted variable aperture technology multiple times.
50%UnverifiedVariable aperture means the lens aperture size can be physically adjusted, rather than being fixed as on the vast majority of phones.
50%UnverifiedThe iPhone 18 Pro Max uses variable aperture technology, enabling it to compete with the top Android devices in low-light environments.
50%UnverifiedSamsung, Nokia, and Honor have all more or less tried variable aperture technology over the past decade.
50%UnverifiedVariable aperture went from an optional feature to a necessary outlet because it simultaneously solves the two contradictions of excessively shallow depth of field caused by large sensors and the trade-off in low-light controllability.
50%UnverifiedThe variable aperture is one of the few physical-level breakthroughs in iPhone imaging hardware in recent years, as optical parameters such as aperture had long been fixed.
50%UnverifiedVariable aperture is a structural innovation at the hardware level that changes the fundamental way light enters the lens, rather than relying solely on post-processing algorithms to compensate.
50%UnverifiedPreviously, most smartphone main cameras used fixed apertures and could only rely on software algorithms and adjustments to ISO and shutter speed to adapt to different lighting conditions.
50%UnverifiedApple is positioning variable aperture as the headline feature of the iPhone 18 Pro because a tangible mechanical structure is easier to communicate to ordinary consumers than abstract algorithmic optimization.
50%UnverifiedVariable aperture can achieve smooth exposure transitions in video shooting, avoiding sudden jumps in brightness.
50%UnverifiedSmartphone sensor sizes are relatively small, so the range of depth-of-field variation brought about by aperture adjustment is limited, and users may find it difficult to intuitively perceive a significant difference between the maximum and minimum aperture settings.
50%