Samsung might bring back variable aperture cameras because Apple is reportedly adding them to the iPhone 18 Pro models. A tipster on Weibo, Digital Chat Station, says Samsung is testing the tech again and also experimenting with a wider folding screen similar to rumored iPhone Fold designs. Samsung first used variable apertures on the Galaxy S9 line before ditching the feature later.
Apple is historically slow to adopt camera tech already common with Android rivals, like periscope lenses. Their reported move to variable aperture for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max seems to have prompted Samsung's renewed interest. The Korean company originally let users mechanically switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures for better low-light or depth-of-field control.
Current rumors suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra will not get this feature. Instead, its return is more likely with the Galaxy S27 Ultra in 2027. The standard Galaxy S26 models are expected to reuse the S25's camera setup. If Samsung proceeds, it would not be copying Apple but reviving its own old pioneering technology for a competitive response.
Apple is historically slow to adopt camera tech already common with Android rivals, like periscope lenses. Their reported move to variable aperture for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max seems to have prompted Samsung's renewed interest. The Korean company originally let users mechanically switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures for better low-light or depth-of-field control.
Current rumors suggest the Galaxy S26 Ultra will not get this feature. Instead, its return is more likely with the Galaxy S27 Ultra in 2027. The standard Galaxy S26 models are expected to reuse the S25's camera setup. If Samsung proceeds, it would not be copying Apple but reviving its own old pioneering technology for a competitive response.
