Apple could be about to give the iPhone 18 Pro a much more capable camera system, with several features discovered in iOS 27 pointing towards a proper pro-style shooting mode.
MacRumors forum member pdfu found references to five camera upgrades in the iOS 27 code, including manual focus, focus peaking, waveforms, histograms and an overexposure warning. These tools would give photographers considerably more control than the standard iPhone camera app currently offers.
Waveforms and histograms would provide a more detailed look at an image’s exposure, making it easier to spot areas that are too dark or too bright before taking a photo. Focus peaking could also highlight the edges of subjects that are in sharp focus, which should be particularly useful when manually controlling focus.
There’s another clue that could be particularly interesting for the iPhone 18 Pro. The code reportedly includes changes that allow lens corrections to be adjusted depending on the selected aperture. That would fit with ongoing rumours that at least one iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max camera could introduce a variable aperture for the first time.
The fifth change is less professional but still useful: iOS 27 could allow the self-timer to repeat automatically, so another timed photo is taken without having to set the timer again manually.
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Taken together, these additions would bring Apple’s camera app much closer to offering the kind of controls normally associated with dedicated cameras and third-party photography apps. Apple could keep them tucked away in a separate shooting mode, too, meaning the extra controls shouldn’t complicate the experience for anyone who simply wants to point and shoot.
There are still some important caveats. The features have only been found in iOS 27 code and cannot currently be activated, so Apple could delay or drop them before the software reaches users. It’s also unclear whether all of the features will work on existing iPhones or be limited to newer models.
The variable-aperture tools in particular would make more sense on the iPhone 18 Pro models if Apple does introduce the rumoured hardware.
With Apple expected to reveal the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra later today, we shouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out which of these camera upgrades make the final cut.