In general, we’re not expecting the iPhone 18 Pro to be a significant upgrade over its predecessor. Indeed, if you currently have an older iPhone there are arguments for buying the iPhone 17 Pro ahead of next week’s launch.
Of the few upgrades we are expecting, the biggest one on paper is going to be a variable aperture lens for the primary camera. But will this make a significant difference in reality … ?
Variable aperture offers control over depth of field
One of the biggest differences in the results you can achieve with a DSLR or mirrorless camera over an iPhone photo is control over the depth of field (DOF).
With a conventional camera, a wide aperture will create a shallow DOF that is most commonly used to separate the subject of the photo from the background. Portrait shots are a classic example (and this is why Apple’s simulated shallow depth of field feature is known as Portrait mode).
