The next major iPhone refresh is shaping up to be less about adding another lens and more about rethinking how the camera fits into the screen. Early iPhone 18 leaks point to Apple finally experimenting with an under display camera, a trick Samsung tried on its foldables in 2021 before quietly stepping back. If the rumors hold, Apple could pair that hidden selfie lens with a raft of more traditional camera upgrades, turning the 2026 flagship into one of the most aggressive photography overhauls in years.
Instead of chasing gimmicks, the company appears to be using familiar ideas like under screen hardware and ultra high resolution sensors as tools to clean up the design and push image quality forward. I see a pattern emerging: Apple is willing to adopt features that rivals tested years ago, but only once it can tie them into a broader rethink of the display, the main camera and even how Face ID is embedded in the glass.
Apple’s late move on under display cameras
The headline change that has grabbed attention is the suggestion that the iPhone 18 will hide its front camera beneath the screen. Multiple reports describe Apple working on an under display camera, often shortened to UDC, that would remove the visible cutout and let the display stretch uninterrupted across the top edge. One detailed rundown of iPhone 18 chatter explicitly notes that the phone Could Have UDC, framing it as a major design shift rather than a minor spec bump.
Another breakdown of the same leak leans into the idea that this is the moment Apple finally embraces a technology that has been floating around Android for years, describing the device as an “iPhone 18 Rumour: Apple Finally Adds Camera Feature Samsung Ditched In” its own lineup. I read that framing as a reminder that Apple is not first here, but it also hints at confidence that the company believes it can solve the image quality and consistency problems that made early UDC attempts feel like prototypes rather than finished products.
The Samsung experiment Apple is revisiting
To understand why this rumor matters, it helps to remember what Samsung actually did. The Korean giant was one of the first big brands to ship an under display selfie camera in a mainstream device, using the tech in its foldable phones several years ago. That implementation was limited to the inner screen of the Galaxy Z Fold line, and while it delivered the futuristic look of a fully uninterrupted canvas, reviewers quickly pointed out that the camera itself felt like a step down from the standard punch hole shooters Samsung used elsewhere. The new iPhone talk is striking because it suggests Apple is ready to revisit a concept that Samsung effectively tried and then walked away from in its most visible flagships.
Fresh reporting on the iPhone 18 even spells this out, noting that the phone could borrow a feature from Samsung’s foldable phones and apply it to a traditional slab design. Where Samsung used UDC as a kind of tech demo on an inner display that many people only saw occasionally, Apple appears to be aiming at the main screen that every iPhone owner stares at all day. That raises the stakes considerably, because any softness, haze or color shift from the hidden camera will be obvious in FaceTime calls and social apps like Instagram and TikTok.
What an under display camera would change for iPhone design
If Apple pulls this off, the most immediate change will be visual. Removing the Dynamic Island and hiding the selfie camera would finally give the iPhone a truly edge to edge look, something Android phones have chased with tiny punch holes and curved glass for years. One leak focused on the iPhone 18 series describes how the screens of the iPhone 18 Pro models, listed at 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch for the Pro Max, will be equipped with under screen Face ID technology, which would naturally pair with a hidden camera to clean up the top bezel and improve the overall screen to body ratio.
Separate reporting on the same theme notes that while the iPhone’s screen real estate has grown steadily, it has still been tied to a display cutout for Face ID and the selfie lens, and that the iPhone 18 series may debut with an under display camera to finally remove that constraint. I see that as more than a cosmetic tweak. If Apple can move both the biometric hardware and the front camera under the glass without sacrificing reliability, it opens the door to new interface ideas at the top of the screen and potentially frees up space inside the chassis for larger batteries or more advanced camera modules on the back.
Variable aperture: the quiet but crucial camera upgrade
While the under display selfie lens grabs the headlines, the most meaningful photography change may actually sit on the rear of the iPhone 18 Pro. Several detailed roundups point to a major shift in the main camera, with the primary wide lens expected to adopt a variable aperture system that can physically adjust how much light hits the sensor. One report on the iPhone 18 Pro’s imaging stack describes how the main cameras on all Pro models are tipped to gain this variable aperture, giving users more control over depth of field and helping the phone adapt better to bright daylight and dim interiors.
A broader overview of the lineup reinforces that idea, stating that the iPhone 18 Pro range is expected to feature a “Variable Aperture Lens and New Sensor” on the main camera. That combination, described as “The Main” imaging upgrade for the Pro models, is expected to improve low light performance by letting in more light in dark scenes while stopping down in bright conditions to preserve detail. In practical terms, that could mean cleaner night photos without as much noise and more natural background blur in portraits without relying as heavily on software tricks.
Megapixels, Sensors and the Samsung link
Behind the scenes, Apple appears to be rethinking where it gets some of its most important camera components. One report on the company’s manufacturing plans notes that Apple is exploring a US based production deal that could bring Samsung’s camera technology into the iPhone supply chain. The same account points out that Currently, Sony is the only supplier of certain advanced image sensors, and that Citing unnamed sources, the report describes talks between Appl and Samsung that could change that balance.
A separate piece goes further, suggesting that a new manufacturing deal could put a 200 megapixel Samsung sensor into the iPhone 18. That report describes a “Manufacturing” arrangement between Samsung and Apple that would represent a massive pixel count increase over current iPhone cameras, with the goal of delivering more detail for both viewing and printing. If that pans out, Apple would be leaning on a rival’s hardware expertise to leapfrog its own previous sensors, while still relying on its in house image processing to keep photos looking like iPhone shots rather than Galaxy clones.
How the iPhone 18 camera stack compares to iPhone 17
For anyone deciding whether to upgrade now or wait, the rumored camera gap between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 is central. One buyer’s guide that weighs the two generations side by side highlights “Better Cameras” as one of the main reasons to hold off, pointing to expectations that the 2026 iPhone’s ultrawide camera will see a meaningful upgrade. That aligns with the broader pattern of Apple using the second year of a design cycle to push more aggressive camera changes, as it did when the iPhone 13 Pro introduced macro photography and improved telephoto hardware after the iPhone 12 laid the groundwork.
Another detailed rumor roundup on the iPhone 18 family underscores that the camera is once again a standout focus. It notes that the iPhone 18 Cameras are expected to be a key selling point, with the Apple Pro models rumored to introduce variable apertures on the main lens and enhanced low light photography. The same report mentions that Samsung is reportedly working on higher resolution sensors that could jump from the current generation’s 18 megapixels, which dovetails with the separate 200 megapixel rumor and reinforces the sense that the iPhone 18 will be a bigger leap in camera hardware than the iPhone 17 was over its predecessor.
Why Apple might succeed where early UDC phones struggled
Under display cameras have a reputation problem. Early implementations, including Samsung’s first attempt in its foldables, often produced softer, hazier images because the light had to pass through a partially transparent section of the OLED panel before hitting the sensor. That trade off was acceptable for a niche inner screen that people mostly used for video calls, but it would be a much tougher sell on a primary display. Apple’s rumored move to UDC on the iPhone 18 suggests the company believes it can mitigate those issues, likely by combining more advanced panel tech with aggressive computational photography.
The leaks that describe the iPhone 18’s UDC setup hint at this confidence. One account that frames the device as an “iPhone 18 Rumour: Apple Finally Adds Camera Feature Samsung Ditched In” positions the change as a sign that Apple is ready to adopt UDC only now that the technology has matured enough to meet its standards, even though Samsung itself has stepped back from using it widely. Another report that says the iPhone 18 could borrow a feature from Samsung’s foldable phones and apply it to the Dynamic Island area implies that Apple will not simply hide the camera and call it a day, but will instead rethink how that top of screen space is used for alerts and live activities once the hardware is invisible. If that plays out, the iPhone 18’s UDC might feel less like a party trick and more like a foundational design shift.
The broader camera strategy behind iPhone 18
Stepping back, the iPhone 18 camera rumors point to a two track strategy. On one track, Apple is chasing cleaner hardware integration by moving the selfie camera and Face ID under the display, which simplifies the front design and potentially frees up internal space. On the other, it is doubling down on traditional image quality metrics with variable apertures, new sensors and possibly a huge jump in resolution on at least one rear camera. That combination suggests Apple is not content to let the under display trick carry the marketing on its own, but wants the phone to deliver noticeably better photos and videos in everyday use.
Several of the reports I have reviewed reinforce this dual approach. The roundups that talk about a “Variable Aperture Lens and New Sensor” on the Pro models, the buyer’s guides that flag “Better cameras” as a reason to wait for the iPhone 18, and the manufacturing leaks that tie Samsung’s 200 megapixel technology to Apple’s next flagship all point in the same direction. The under display camera may be the most visible change, especially for anyone tired of the Dynamic Island, but the real story is that Apple appears to be preparing one of its most ambitious camera overhauls in years, even if it means adopting and refining a feature that Samsung first tried, and then largely abandoned, back in 2021.
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