iPhone 18 Pro Series Strengthens Camera Professionalism with Variable Aperture

Apple's latest smartphones, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, have been unveiled. According to a video from the YouTube channel UNDERkg, these new products have achieved significant progress in performance compared to their predecessors, but they simultaneously face the challenges of increased weight and price. In particular, changes in physical camera control functions and display design are cited as key differences.

Introduction of Variable Aperture and Evolution of Smart Focus Functions

The most notable change in this iPhone 18 Pro series is the camera performance. The aperture of the wide-angle camera, which was previously fixed at f/1.8, has changed to a 'variable aperture' method that can be adjusted from f/1.48 to f/4.0. Through this, users can control the amount of light according to lighting conditions and can directly control the physical effects of photos through depth adjustment. The video emphasized that when the aperture is fully opened, it allows for brighter shooting than the existing f/1.8, enabling stable use of shutter speed or ISO during night photography.

Significant changes were also confirmed in the camera software. The photographic style has been upgraded to 'Photographic Styles 3', adding texture and grain control functions. Additionally, the 'Pro Control' menu has been introduced, providing an environment where users can manually and finely adjust lens aperture, focus, shutter speed, white balance, etc. This is a change that enables professional control within the default camera app for users who previously had to use separate apps.

In video recording functions, a 4K 60fps option has been added to Cinematic mode, and 4K Dolby Vision support has become possible during time-lapse recording. A particularly noteworthy feature is 'Smart Focus'. The ability to maintain tracking even when a subject moves out of the frame and then returns has been greatly improved compared to the previous model, and a new feature has been equipped to convert captured regular videos into cinematic videos. Furthermore, a new menu has appeared that allows users to adjust the video storage configuration.

Smaller Dynamic Island and Enhanced Hardware Performance

The Dynamic Island at the top of the display has become smaller than before through a design where the infrared projector is moved inside the screen. Accordingly, extra space has been secured that could increase the number of notifications (Activity) displayed on the screen by up to 2–3.

The chipset, the core of hardware performance, has been upgraded to the A20 Pro, and according to Apple's announcement, the CPU shows a 20% performance improvement and the GPU shows a 40% improvement.

Hardware improvements for heat control and power efficiency have also been made. By increasing the size of the vapor chamber and changing the way memory is arranged, the throttling phenomenon that occurs during long-term use has been mitigated. Additionally, the memory bandwidth has been increased by up to 50%, and the battery capacity has also increased from 3,998mAh to 4,560mAh based on the Korean release model (based on the SIM card tray). In particular, for the Pro Max model, the battery capacity increased by as much as 568mAh, from 4,823mAh to 5,391mAh.

Disappointments Brought by Increased Weight and Price Hikes

Despite the performance improvements, points of disappointment were found in terms of user convenience. The weight of the iPhone 18 Pro is 211g, making it heavier than its predecessor, the 17 Pro (205g). In particular, the iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches a weight of 240g, showing a significant sense of weight when compared to some competitors' flagship models (e.g., Galaxy Z Fold Ultra 227g). This appears to be a result of hardware expansion such as the larger vapor chamber and battery capacity.

The price has also risen noticeably. Even considering that the TB models have been newly established, the prices of existing models have increased by about 200,000 won, and high-capacity models in particular have been priced 500,000 won higher than the previous models. The video mentioned the new color of this series, 'Burgundy', suggesting that color choice could be an important variable in purchasing. The video creator also expressed personal thoughts regarding the Burgundy color, mentioning the importance of color selection.