Ming-Chi Kuo Reveals Costly Camera Upgrades for iPhone 18 Pro

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported on May 29, 2026, that Apple is advancing its camera hardware roadmap for future devices, specifically targeting the iPhone 18 Pro.

According to the report, manufacturing is reportedly underway for a variable aperture lens designed for the iPhone 18 Pro.

A variable aperture is a mechanical system that allows a camera to adjust the size of the lens opening. By changing the diameter of the aperture, the camera can control the amount of light reaching the image sensor and modify the depth of field, which determines how much of the background is blurred in a photograph.

In addition to the aperture updates, Kuo identified an under-the-hood ultra-wide module change as part of the upcoming camera plans.

These hardware modifications are expected to have a significant impact on production expenses. Kuo described the financial implication of these upgrades as a surprisingly steep cost increase.