Apple plans to release a foldable smartphone in 2026, iPhone 17 may have a mechanical aperture on the camera

On July 23, 2024, overseas media The Information reported that 'Apple is working on developing a foldable smartphone, which could be released as early as 2026.' In addition, at least one model of the iPhone 17 series, which is expected to appear in 2025, may be equipped with a ' mechanical aperture ' in the camera.

Apple Moves Forward With Foldable iPhone — The Information
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/apple-moves-forward-with-foldable-iphone

Apple Reportedly Working on Foldable iPhone With Similar Design as Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip - MacRumors
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/07/23/foldable-iphone-2026-report/

Report: At least one iPhone 17 model to feature a mechanical aperture | Macworld
https://www.macworld.com/article/2406933/report-at-least-one-iphone-17-model-to-feature-a-mechanical-aperture.html

According to a report from The Information, Apple is working on a clamshell-style foldable smartphone that folds into a square shape, similar to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip series, and Apple has reportedly contacted Asian suppliers in recent months about manufacturing parts for the device.

There have been frequent rumors that Apple is developing a foldable smartphone, but The Information now claims that Apple has finally moved forward with the project, which has even been given the internal codename 'V68.'

Apple also aims to make the creases on the borders of the folding display invisible, but this is a difficult goal. When Samsung executives said in 2023 that they were working with Apple to develop a folding display, wrinkles on the display were also cited as an issue. If the folding smartphone does not meet Apple's quality standards, the release may be delayed until 2026 or later.

Samsung executive says 'We are working with Apple to develop foldable displays' - GIGAZINE

The Information also mentions not only Apple's foldable smartphone, but also the iPhone 17, which is scheduled to be released in 2025. According to The Information, at least one model in the iPhone 17 series may be equipped with a camera with a mechanical aperture on the lens.

The aperture is a mechanism that adjusts the amount of light entering the lens; the wider the aperture, the more light that enters the sensor, and the shallower the depth of field in which the image is in focus. This narrows the range that can be seen clearly, so that objects in the foreground are clearly visible, but objects in the background appear blurry. On the other hand, the narrower the aperture, the less light that enters the sensor, and the deeper the depth of field, resulting in clear images of both the foreground and background.

Generally, most smartphones have small camera sensors, so the aperture is fixed wide to let more light in. On the iPhone, you can change the aperture (f-stop) in portrait mode, but this is emulated in software and does not actually change the lens aperture.

Some smartphones, such as Huawei's Mate 50 Pro and Xiaomi's Xiaomi 14 Ultra , already have mechanical apertures. However, if an iPhone is equipped with a mechanical aperture, the iPhone 17 series will be the first.

It is unclear what the aperture of the lens that will actually be installed in the iPhone 17 series will be, but you can see the mechanical aperture blades on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra camera moving in the video below.

How the aperture blades of the ultra-high performance camera smartphone 'Xiaomi 14 Ultra' move - YouTube


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