According to the latest rumors spread by the well-known leaker Smart Pikachu on the Chinese platform Weibo, Apple would have started an advanced testing phase for two key technologies destined for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, scheduled for September 2026
The first would be a variable-aperture system and, even more surprisingly, the second envisions an accessory described as “teleconverter“.
Apple will copy an accessory from the best camera phones of 2026?
Sources indicate that the variable-aperture system for the main camera has already reached the stage of an advanced engineering sample.
This technology, confirmed also by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo‘s forecasts already in December 2024, would represent a first ever for the iPhone ecosystem.
The implementation of a mechanical aperture would allow users to manually control the amount of light hitting the sensor, offering tangible benefits such as reducing overexposure in bright conditions and, above all, natural depth of field management.
This would reduce dependence on software algorithms, bringing the image quality closer to that of dedicated cameras.
However, the mention of a teleconverter currently under evaluation is generating the most interest. In the world of traditional photography, a teleconverter is an optical element placed between the camera body and the lens to increase the effective focal length.
In the context of a smartphone, this could translate to an external accessory or to an integrated module capable of extending the reach of the optical zoom without sacrificing resolution through digital cropping.
The variable aperture, in this scenario, would play a crucial role in compensating for the loss of brightness typical of using focal extenders, opening the aperture to its maximum when the accessory is in use.
The race among Asian giants: OPPO, vivo and Honor pave the way
While Apple is experimenting with development-stage trials, for Chinese competitors the integration between smartphones and professional photography accessories is a well-established reality.
Eastern manufacturers have long understood that to overcome the physical limits of phones it is necessary to expand the hardware externally, turning devices into true compact cameras through dedicated kits that include grips (grip), covers with mounting threads and add-on lenses.
OPPO, for example, has paved the way with the recent Find X9 Pro, offering a Hasselblad camera kit that goes beyond simply protecting the device. This package includes covers that improve grip and integrate physical controls for shooting, simulating the ergonomics of a DSLR, in addition to supporting the attachment of an external lens.
Likewise, vivo has pushed the accelerator on the X300 Pro series, offering a very similar kit made with the help of Zeiss. Honor is of course not standing by, with the recent launch of Magic8 RSR Porsche Design.
Between experimentation and production reality
Despite the enthusiasm, caution is due. Apple is known for testing in parallel several hardware configurations before “freezing” the final design. The engineering sampling phase serves precisely to verify whether mass production of these complex optical components is sustainable and whether long-term reliability meets Cupertino’s standards.
It would not be the first time that a feature, such as the variable aperture initially rumored for iPhone 17, is scrapped at the last minute.
However, the competitive pressure exerted by OPPO, vivo and Honor, which have turned their top-of-the-line into hybrid imaging tools, could be the decisive push.
If the iPhone 18 Pro were to actually integrate these technologies, the race for the best camera phone of 2026 could see an unexpected entry by the Cupertino giant as well.
