The iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max's all-new variable aperture lens will cost Apple 50% more than the camera unit used in current models, according to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.


Variable aperture has been one of the most persistent iPhone camera rumors of the past few years. Kuo first flagged the feature in late 2024, and it has since been corroborated by multiple reports and apparently entered production earlier this year.

Unlike the fixed f/1.78 aperture found on every iPhone Pro from the 14 Pro through to the 17 Pro, a variable aperture will physically adjust the size of the lens opening to control how much light reaches the sensor, offering better exposure control and greater flexibility over depth of field.

Kuo said that the component has an average selling price roughly 50% higher than the seven-element plastic lens Apple currently uses in the iPhone 17 Pro's main camera. Sunny Optical set to supply Apple between 40 and 50% of orders

Sunny Optical has also become a new compact camera module (CCM) supplier for Apple, initially producing the camera for the MacBook Neo. ‌MacBook Neo‌ shipments have come in significantly better than expected, with Kuo doubling his 2026 forecast from 5 million to 10 million units, a notable upward revision as the entry-level Mac has materially exceeded early expectations.

Looking further ahead, the 2028 iPhone's ultra wide camera module is expected to move away from flip-chip packaging in favor of an improved COB (chip-on-board) design, with Sunny Optical well positioned to become a supplier at that point. A COB ultra-wide module could be thinner or smaller, leaving more room for other components, or simply deliver better image quality from the same physical footprint.

Beyond Apple, Kuo says Sunny Optical has secured component orders for two OpenAI devices, including a smartphone and a pocket or mobile device.

The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max are expected to launch in the fall alongside the first foldable iPhone.
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Apple is testing an iPhone 19 Pro with a display that curves around all four edges of the device, a leaker out of China has claimed.


According to Weibo-based Digital Chat Station, the 2027-generation Pro device, currently at the evaluation stage, has a hole-punch cutout in the display for the front-facing camera, but Face ID is completely hidden under the panel.

The claim is notable because multiple reports suggest Apple is aiming to launch a 20th-anniversary iPhone next year featuring a quad-curved display with no cutouts. Whether Apple plans to position the commemorative model as an ultra-premium tier above its Pro and Pro Max lineup has remained unclear, but the leaker's latest comments suggest that could be the case.

That said, if Apple is planning to use quad-curved panels across both the iPhone 19 Pro and iPhone 19 Pro Max, it would leave the company less room to differentiate them from the rumored commemorative iPhone.

One way Apple could play it is to keep the uninterrupted display exclusive to the 20th-anniversary iPhone while leaving a hole-punch cutout in the 19 Pro models – an option that the leaker's comments do seem to imply. However, Apple is said to be finding it particularly challenging to get both the Face ID system and the front-facing camera under the panel, with the selfie camera proving to be the most difficult to hide.

If existing technologies can't hide the camera under the panel without degrading quality, Apple is unlikely to go ahead with it – which would leave the 2027 iPhone series' differentiation outlined here unresolved.

Digital Chat Station has more than three million followers on Weibo, and has a track record of accurately leaking Apple-related information. For example, they accurately revealed the overall design of the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro, as well as the triple 48-megapixel rear camera system of the ‌iPhone 17 Pro.‌ Recently, the leaker claimed Apple's first foldable, expected to arrive alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models, will be called "iPhone Ultra."
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Apple is already planning a second version of the "four-edge bending" display that is rumored to debut on next year's 20th-anniversary iPhone, claims a new report out of Korea.


For the 20th-anniversary iPhone, Apple is said to be introducing a display that curves down around all four edges of the device for a borderless visual experience. It could be one of the biggest design shifts in the iPhone's history since the 10th anniversary iPhone X, which saw Apple drop the Home button, introduce a notched display, and adopt an intuitive swipe gesture-based navigation interface.

Today, ETNews reports that Apple is planning a two-stage rollout for the new OLED display technology that the commemorative iPhone will use, with a more advanced version said to be coming a year later.

For the 2027 variant, Apple will reportedly rely on OLED technology that uses a magnesium-silver (MgAg) alloy in the cathode layer. This implementation can cause image distortion and brightness loss in the curved areas, but Apple is apparently willing to live with the compromise for the 20th-anniversary iPhone while more advanced technology scales.

Apple then plans to address the issue in 2028 by transitioning to next-generation transparent electrodes. Apple will reportedly switch to indium zinc oxide (IZO) cathode materials, and because IZO is more transparent, it should reduce distortion, uneven brightness, and heat issues around the curved edges while enabling even narrower bezels.

ETNews reports that Samsung Display and LG Display have already been put on alert to prepare for the two-stage rollout. LG recently announced a ₩1.106 trillion investment (roughly $790 million) in OLED infrastructure, which industry observers believe is connected to development and mass production of the new technology.

Meanwhile, Samsung is reportedly evaluating whether its existing OLED lines can accommodate the required hardware, but a dedicated production line is not out of the question, and may well be necessary.

Bloomberg in May 2025 reported on Apple's plans to launch a "mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display" for its 20th-anniversary model. The Information last year also cited multiple sources claiming that at least one new iPhone model launching in 2027 will have a truly edge-to-edge display.
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While something new is always around the corner, now might be a particularly good time to hold off on buying a new iPhone if you are able to.


The reason to consider waiting is that Apple is reportedly working on a special 20th-anniversary iPhone for release in September 2027, and rumors suggest that the device will feature the biggest redesign since the iPhone X in 2017.

According to Bloomberg, the 20th-anniversary iPhone will have "glass edges that curve seamlessly into the display on all four sides."

The Information reported that one of Apple's early 20th-anniversary iPhone prototypes lacked bezels around the screen. The device had only a "narrow metal band running around the midpoint of the device's edge, where the buttons sit."

Apple has also aimed for the device to have no cutouts in the screen, according to The Information, but it is unclear if the company will be able to move both the front camera and the Face ID system under the screen by next year.

Overall, it sounds like Apple has ambitious goals with the 20th-anniversary iPhone, and that makes it a device that might be especially worth waiting for. Of course, this advice will not apply to you if you upgrade your iPhone every single year regardless, but the average customer holds on to their iPhone for two to four years.

In the meantime, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first-ever foldable iPhone in September 2026, followed by an iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air around March 2027.
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Apple continues to test under-screen camera technology as it works toward a 20th-anniversary iPhone with an uninterrupted display, according to Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station.


Apple has long been rumored to be planning a major redesign for 2027. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported last May that the company is aiming for an all-glass device "without any cutouts in the display."

More recently, however, there have been signs that Apple's under-display ambitions could take longer to materialize. In January, display analyst Ross Young said the smaller Dynamic Island expected on this year's iPhone 18 Pro models is likely to persist through 2027. Just this week, leaker Fixed Focus Digital similarly claimed Apple is still facing challenges with under-display Face ID, and may instead focus on gradually shrinking the cutout.

Digital Chat Station's latest comments suggest a similar incremental approach. According to the leaker, Apple's roadmap moves from a smaller Dynamic Island with some Face ID components under the display – potentially for the iPhone 18 Pro – to a further reduced cutout with a hole-punch camera and fully under-display Face ID by 2027.

However, the timeline suggests the fully uninterrupted display could be reserved for a higher-end 20th-anniversary model. Indeed, Digital Chat Station says Apple is continuing to test an all-screen device with a quad-curved display that wraps around all four edges, creating a more borderless look.

For Apple to realize a true all-glass design, though, it will need to eliminate the remaining front-facing cutout entirely. Whether current under-display technologies can meet Apple's standards in time remains to be seen.
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