iPhone 18 Pro Adds Variable Aperture, Manual Controls and Faster Charging

The phone’s 48-megapixel main camera is the first on an iPhone to feature variable aperture, Engadget said. Its six-blade lens physically opens and closes like a DSLR lens, giving users more control over the amount of light in a scene and the depth of field. The Camera app offers four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4. At f/1.48, the sensor lets in more light and blurs the background more, which Engadget said is useful for a photo in a dimly lit restaurant. At f/4, less light enters but subjects appear sharper, making it better for group photos or landscapes; the smaller aperture can also create a starburst effect on bright lights. The aperture control is found by tapping the six-dot button in the Camera app, but it only works on the main lens in 1x and 2x modes. Other lenses still have a fixed aperture.

Engadget said aperture control is not the only new camera feature. Apple has added other manual controls previously found mainly in third-party apps, including shutter speed, focus and white balance. A slow shutter speed can turn car headlights into streaks, while locking white balance can stop skin tones from shifting as a user walks between rooms with different lighting. All these controls are located inside the same six-dot button as the aperture setting. Users can customize the Camera app by pressing and holding the controls at the top and dragging the ones they want to keep there at all times.

Photographic Styles were introduced with the iPhone 13, but the feature has changed since then. Unlike a basic filter, Photographic Styles adjust specific layers of an image to change contrast, shadows and colors, according to Engadget. On the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple added two new controls: grain and texture. After taking a photo with any camera on the phone, users can open the editing menu, tap Styles, select Customize and go to the Texture tab. There they can soften skin tones without affecting the rest of the image, add glow, apply a film effect to highlights or add an old-school grainy effect.

The Dynamic Island is smaller on the iPhone 18 Pro, leaving more room for content when it is not active, Engadget said. When active, it can show up to three Live Activities at once, rather than one. That lets users control music, check the progress of a timer and follow the score of a sporting event at the same time. As on previous models, users can press and hold each Live Activity to expand it. Apps that already work with the Dynamic Island can take advantage of the improvements, Engadget said.

Engadget also noted faster charging. Apple says the new iPhones’ batteries last longer, but when the iPhone 18 Pro needs to be charged, it can go from 0 to 50 percent in about 15 minutes with a wired charger, or about 30 minutes with a MagSafe charger. The fastest wired speed requires a USB PD 3.1 adapter with Adjustable Voltage Supply at 60W or higher, according to Engadget. Apple ran its tests with its own 40W Dynamic Power Adapter.

Editor's Summary The iPhone 18 Pro introduces a variable-aperture 48-megapixel main camera, expanded manual camera controls, new Photographic Styles options, a smaller Dynamic Island that can show three Live Activities and faster charging. Engadget’s guide highlights these as features owners should try first. The fastest wired charging requires a compatible 60W-or-higher USB PD 3.1 adapter.