Samsung Galaxy S27 Series May Skip This Big iPhone 18 Pro Camera Feature

Samsung may have changed its mind about bringing one of the iPhone 18 Pro's biggest camera upgrades to the Galaxy S27 series. A new report claims that Samsung has dropped its plans for a variable aperture camera, despite earlier leaks saying the feature could return next year. If true, that is a bit strange, since Samsung used the same idea on Galaxy phones years before Apple.

Earlier reports claimed that Samsung was working with its camera suppliers on new variable aperture parts. The plan was to bring the feature back with the Galaxy S27 series, most likely on the Galaxy S27 Ultra. Samsung even asked suppliers to develop parts for testing, which made the rumor sound quite solid at the time.

Here's the thing, though. The latest report now claims that Samsung has decided not to use the feature on the Galaxy S27 series. That means the Galaxy S27 Ultra could stick with a fixed aperture for its main camera, while Apple moves in the other direction with the iPhone 18 Pro.

Apple is expected to use a variable aperture on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max later this year. It would let the camera change how much light reaches the sensor, which can help in low light and give users more control over depth of field.

The funny part is that this isn't new technology for Samsung. The Galaxy S9 already had a dual aperture camera back in 2018, with the lens able to switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4. Samsung kept the feature for the Galaxy S10 series, but then dropped it from later phones.

I actually liked the idea at the time. A wider aperture could help the phone take brighter shots at night, while the smaller setting could keep more of the scene in focus during the day. It was not something every user noticed, but it gave Samsung's camera system another tool to work with.

So seeing Apple bring the idea back while Samsung decides to leave it behind would be a little ironic.

This does not mean Samsung has no camera upgrades planned for next year. Other leaks point to changes for the Galaxy S27 Ultra, including a possible new 200MP main sensor. Samsung could also drop the old 3x telephoto camera and rely on its main sensor for shorter zoom shots.

As always, I would take all of this with some salt. The Galaxy S27 series is still months away, and we have already seen reports change more than once. Samsung could also be testing several camera setups before it picks the final hardware.

Still, I hope this latest rumor is wrong. Samsung had variable aperture cameras long before Apple even considered the idea, and bringing the feature back could make sense with today's larger sensors. Watching Apple launch it on the iPhone 18 Pro while Samsung leaves it out of the Galaxy S27 Ultra would be quite a twist.