iPhone 17 could get a new camera feature that Samsung tried in 2018

Another cool new thing that the iPhone 16 series will miss out on.

iPhone 17 could get a new camera feature that Samsung tried in 2018
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro in hand
Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
  • A report suggests that one of the iPhone 17 models could feature a variable aperture system.
  • Samsung previously experimented with variable aperture in the Galaxy S9 series.
  • A variable aperture would allow users to control the depth of field, enabling better bokeh and sharper focus across a wider range of scenarios.

While the iPhone 16 series is shaping up to be an iterative upgrade, leaks and rumors about Apple’s 2025 iPhone lineup keep on getting more interesting. A recent report from The Information suggests that Apple may be planning to incorporate a variable aperture system into its iPhone models next year, bringing back a feature that Samsung first attempted with its Galaxy S9 series in 2018.

Variable aperture technology has been absent from smartphones, at least in the Western world, since Samsung’s early experiment. At that time, the small size of smartphone camera sensors made the feature less impactful. However, with the resurgence of this technology in 2023 among various Chinese flagship phones, it seems the industry is ready to embrace it once again.