An important hardware change on the camera side is on the agenda for the iPhone 18 Pro family, which Apple will introduce in 2026. According to the latest check notes by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will come with a new variable aperture lens on the main camera. The average sales price of this lens will be approximately 50 percent higher compared to the high-end 7P lens used in the iPhone 17 Pro.
Variable aperture main camera is on the agenda in iPhone 18 Pro. The latest information shared for the iPhone 18 Pro series shows that Apple will switch from a fixed aperture layout to a variable aperture structure in the main camera hardware. The main camera system used from iPhone 14 Pro to iPhone 17 Pro included a fixed f / 1.78 aperture. In the new system, the lens aperture can be physically adjusted and the amount of light entering the camera can be changed according to the scene.
The variable aperture system provides more hardware flexibility in smartphone cameras, especially on exposure control and depth of field. Physically changing the lens aperture offers a structure where the camera software does not have to intervene only through shutter speed and ISO. This hardware is used for more controlled results, especially in video shooting and in different light conditions. According to the information shared by Kuo, the new variable aperture lens has an average sales price approximately 50 percent higher than Apple’s current high-end 7P main camera lens.
The comparison here is not made directly on the final sales price of the iPhone, but on the cost of the camera component in Apple’s supply chain. Sunny Optical will be one of the important suppliers for the new camera hardware. It is stated that the company will receive 40 percent to 50 percent of the orders for variable aperture lenses to be used in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Largan, with whom Apple has worked for a long time, will continue to be in the chain as the main supplier.
Sunny Optical’s position in the Apple supply chain is not limited to the iPhone 18 Pro. The company also stood out as the supplier of compact camera modules for Apple’s MacBook Neo model. According to Kuo’s notes, MacBook Neo shipments were above expectations and the 2026 forecast was increased from 5 million units to 10 million units. Apple’s camera plans continue after the iPhone 18 Pro. According to Kuo, the 2028 iPhone models will switch to a different packaging design for the ultra-wide-angle camera module.
The current flip-chip layout is expected to be replaced by the improved COB, that is, chip-on-board design. This change indicates a new production choice in the physical structure of the ultra-wide-angle camera module. It is reported that Sunny Optical is one of the strong supplier candidates for the ultra-wide-angle camera module in the 2028 iPhone models. There is a possibility that the new COB design will make the camera module thinner or smaller.
A module design that provides higher image quality in the same physical space is also among the options included in the supply chain notes. Orders other than Apple were also included in Kuo’s notes. It was stated that Sunny Optical received an order for optical components for two different devices developed by OpenAI. It was reported that one of these devices was a smartphone and the other was a mobile device that could be carried in a pocket.
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