The Apple iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have arrived, and their familiar outward appearance belies a major change to the main camera. For the first time, an iPhone features a variable aperture, and PetaPixel spoke with Apple to learn firsthand why it was created, how it works, and what it means for how people capture photos and videos on Apple's latest flagship phone.
I have to admit, during Apple's iPhone 18 Pro keynote, I felt underwhelmed. Aperture? Texture? That's it? I am used to getting incremental updates on smartphones annually, but this felt especially so. But after taking around 1,000 photos and hours of video with it, I am surprised to say that I was wrong.
I put the Poco F9 Ultra through its paces as a photographer, testing its 200-megapixel main camera, 5x periscope telephoto, and ultra-wide camera in real-world shooting.
Google uses the word “Pixel” for its smartphone lineup, but what was once a camera-centric drive to stand out from the pack has become more of a stay-at-home, iterative lateral crawl. Granted, foldable phones aren’t mobile camera trend-setters, but their price tags suggest mid-range or mediocre shouldn’t be on the menu.
As we have seen time and again, foldable smartphones very rarely offer the same camera and photo features as their slab phone counterparts. Apple's debut foldable, the eye-catching and highly hyped iPhone Duo is no exception. At least for now, mobile photographers cannot have everything. The iPhone Duo's Cameras Apple describes the iPhone Duo's camera system as a "48MP Dual Fusion camera system," a fancy way of saying it has two rear cameras, rather than the three found on the iPhone 18 Pro and …
Apple has finally unveiled its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo. It features a book-style design, a relatively small outer display, and an expansive 7.6-inch inner display.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, its latest flagship slab smartphones. They promise significant improvements across all facets, including the camera.
After a teaser last week, Xiaomi has fully unveiled its first wide foldable phone, the Xiaomi 18 Fold. The new handheld features a wide 5.38-inch cover display and an expansive 7.58-inch 120Hz inner AMOLED display.
The Tecno Camon Slim 5G is an ultra-slim phone that heavily emphasizes style.
RugOne unveiled its new modular action camera-slash-phone, the Xsnap 7 Pro, at IFA 2026 in Berlin.
Google has announced that Gemini Spark now works with Google Photos, allowing Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers to manage, edit, and share photos through prompts.
Poco has officially unveiled the F9 series, introducing the Poco F9 Ultra and F9 Pro. The flagship F9 Ultra leads the lineup with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, a dedicated VisionBoost D8 chipset, a 200MP main camera, a 5x periscope telephoto lens, and an 8,050mAh battery.
ShiftCam has announced its next lenses for smartphone photographers, the SuperZoom X.Series optics.
Sony has announced the Xperia 10 VIII, its latest midrange smartphone. In many ways, it's a familiar phone to the redesigned Mark VII released last November. One key difference, though, is that it costs a lot more this time around.
I don’t usually reach for my iPhone Camera app for much beyond quick clips, social posts, and photos, and I’ve certainly never put any accessories or lenses on it. Then came the Moment T-Series II lens set, and now that very well might change.
Gone are the days of major technological and hardware upgrades from model to model, at least when it comes to the digital camera industry. Smartphones are no exception, and it seems that any annual changes we do see tend to be relatively minor now.
Sandmarc has announced a new 96mm telephoto lens for iPhone, promising optical-quality performance at focal lengths that are historically handled only through digital zoom.
Capture One Mobile 4.0 has arrived, bringing more desktop-caliber editing features to iPhone and iPad.
The Honor Robot Phone is no longer a concept -- it’s a finished product now available in China. The first smartphone with a built-in motorized gimbal in its rear camera module is an engineering win for Honor, not least of which because it actually works. After spending hands-on time with the device, it’s clear enough this isn’t just another gimmicky half-baked experiment.
Apple has deployed an alarming threat notification to an unspecified number of users in 110 countries -- experts advise not to ignore it.
When Honor first announced that it was developing the gimbal-equipped Robot Phone last fall, it seemed like a far-fetched idea that might ultimately stay in the realm of a prototype. Companies are always coming up with wild ideas, only some of which ever reach market. Well, the Honor Robot Phone is very real, and it just launched in China.
Alongside its three new slab smartphones, the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL, Google unveiled a new foldable, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. It's sleek and stylish, but has serious camera compromises.
Over the course of two days, I had a few hours with the new Google Pixel 11 Pro, and I've narrowed it down to the four features aimed at photographers and videographers that I think deserve the most attention.
Google has unveiled its 11th-generation Pixel phones: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. All three phones promise significant camera upgrades and the latest Google Gemini features.
Sharge is just a few days away from wrapping up its crowdfunding campaign for the follow-up to the Sharge Disk Pro with a few nice upgrades, including a way to toggle off its obnoxiously loud fan.
Sony Group and chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) are planning to begin mass production of next-generation image sensors in southwestern Japan as soon as 2029, per Nikkei Asia.
When I first did my hands-on with the Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max, I figured there was still room to push things further, and I was right to think so. But the interesting part is that it sometimes feels like the phone’s camera system has tricks up its sleeve that aren’t always apparent from the outset.
Viltrox has announced the DC-T1, a compact 5-inch external monitor designed to give smartphone creators a larger, real-time view when using their phone's rear cameras. The lightweight monitor connects through USB-C and provides touchscreen camera controls, making it easier to frame selfies, vlogs, livestreams, and solo productions while taking advantage of higher-quality rear-facing smartphone cameras.
Cadrage has launched Cadrage Studio, a new preproduction platform designed to bring together many of the tools filmmakers use before production into a single application. Built by the team behind the Cadrage director's viewfinder app, the new software combines shot lists, storyboards, camera diagrams, mood boards, script management, and location planning within one collaborative workspace.
Apple announced Apple Upgrade today, a new product leasing program offered through Klarna to approved customers in the United States.
There is increasing backlash against smart glasses. Some owners even say they're scared to wear them now. As part of a growing anti-smart glasses sentiment, or at least concern about how people may use smart glasses, there's a new iPhone app designed to alert users when smart glasses may be nearby.
Sell-It.Media has officially launched its eyewitness video marketplace in North America, giving US and Canadian news organizations a new way to purchase exclusive footage directly from people who happen to witness breaking news events. The platform uses a live auction system that allows registered newsrooms to bid on verified videos before they appear publicly on social media.
Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8, and Galaxy Z Flip8. The new foldables embrace new designs, upgraded specs, and some better cameras.
Moment has updated its popular iPhone camera app, Moment Pro Camera II, with new Action Plates. The company describes Action Plates as swappable control layouts for the camera app, akin to a video game controller for the app.
Professional iPhone camera app, Pearla, has a new, huge update. Pearla Verana IV, as it's officially known, adds a wide array of new features, including PearlaRAW, the "first and only" way to internally capture 14-bit RAW stills and video on iPhone without any external storage. Plus there's a new professional editing app, Revela, and a simple camera app, Joya.
Just over a year ago, Adobe released a new computational photography camera app on iPhone, Project Indigo. It arrived boasting impressive features, including desktop-quality noise reduction and upscaling technology, plus robust camera controls and an emphasis on natural, realistic-looking photos. Today, Adobe launched what it calls "AI Playground" inside Project Indigo, ushering in new ways for photographers to use generative AI.
OnePlus has left the party. For a brand with a perpetual upstart status in a North American smartphone market that’s only getting worse by the year, OnePlus’ exit from North America and Europe is a loss by any measure, even if you find yourself wondering what I’m even talking about.
Hasselblad has announced that Phocus Mobile V1.0.0 for Android is now available and supports the the X2D II 100C, X2D 100C and 907X, and CFV 100C.
After days of rumors and reports, Android smartphone maker OnePlus has officially announced that it is, in fact, leaving North America and Europe and will no longer release new phones in those markets.
Although Samsung isn't yet showing off its next-generation Galaxy foldable device -- although the South Korean tech giant is teasing it on social media -- the company is sharing new details about a crucial technology in any folding phone, its folding display.
Huawei is back -- sort of. The brand that once looked like a serious disrupter in multiple markets only seven years ago is launching its photography-focused flagship phone for global users. The Huawei Pura 90s Pro Max nomenclature is an obvious reference (at least to me) to competitors but the imaging focus is what the Pura models are about.
The Xtrem Inno smartphone case for iPhone combines stylish protection with a clever integrated e-ink display that lets users show off their favorite graphics, logos, or photos. It's an interesting take on personalized phone cases.
The 2026 iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) has announced the winners of its 20th annual competition. This year, thousands of photographers from more than 140 countries showed just how powerful an iPhone can be in the right hands and how great photos don't always require high-end, dedicated camera equipment.
Moment has announced the T-Series Mobile II lens series, which it says has been redesigned from the ground up with more glass, improved sharpness, and even more character.
ShiftCam Gear's new mobile lenses, which the company promised would set a new standard in mobile optics in April, have officially arrived.
ObscuraFlex, the system designed to function as both a digital viewfinder and a full-frame digital back for large format cameras such as 4x5 systems and adapted vintage platforms, is expanding beyond its original smartphone-first workflow.
A new iPhone camera app, M-Kamera, attempts to bring the rangefinder camera experience to mobile, including rangefinder-style focusing and a virtual film winder.
Looking to upgrade your content creation kit for less? SmallRig's Prime Day sale includes major discounts across tripods, lighting, batteries, smartphone filmmaking accessories, camera support gear, action camera accessories, and creator-focused tools, with savings available on many of the brand's most popular products.
Sony's first LOFIC image sensor, the Lytia L910, is arriving in flagship smartphones later this year. The upcoming 50-megapixel sensor promises significantly improved image quality with expanded dynamic range compared to traditional image sensors.
The World Cup, probably the biggest and most captivating sporting event on Earth, is laden with photographers on the pitch but what about getting closer to the action as a fan? A smartphone with a teleconverter lens attached lands as a worthwhile alternative -- provided you have the right combination.
