The iPhone 18 Pro has been causing a stir with its new variable aperture camera that helps it adapt automatically to varying types of shot and lighting conditions. Now, independent testing has confirmed just how important this new feature is to the camera’s overall performance, and it appears Apple may have succeeded where many others have failed.

Ranked by Dxomark as the best-performing smartphone camera currently on sale in the U.S., the iPhone 18 Pro achieved 172 points overall, placing it ahead of all others, save for Huawei’s Pura 80 Ultra, which isn’t sold in the U.S. According to the tests, the variable aperture plays a significant role in that result.

iPhone 18 Pro: Apple Succeeds Where Others Have Fallen Short

Apple may be late to the game here. Others have implemented variable apertures before with mixed results, some even eventually abandoning the tech to revert to a fixed aperture. However, in true Apple style, the company has been content to let others experiment with the feature before launching its own polished product.

The iPhone 18 Pro successfully combines fully automatic operation with manual control; it reads the scene to select the most appropriate aperture based on content, not just the amount of light entering the camera. This approach helps immensely in Dxomark’s tests, which are conducted using each camera’s default settings rather than applying any manual overrides. It also means that casual users get to benefit from the feature without having to turn it on manually, or even know it exists. Xiaomi’s 13 Ultra, for example, also offered an automatic variable aperture, but left it turned off by default, meaning it didn’t factor into the results.

The report confirms that the camera effectively extends depth of field for group shots , keeping faces further back in the photo in sharp focus. Without the variable aperture, the iPhone 17 Pro couldn’t do this, with Dxomark noting that “ subjects towards the back of the scene can appear out of focus .”

Dxomark’s full review, published September 24, names two potential issues:

While the report praises the iPhone 18 Pro for its autofocus performance, it also notes, without going into detail, that “ Some autofocus instabilities are introduced by the automated aperture adaptation. “ Dxomark doesn’t say what those instabilities look like; I’ve asked.

Despite this caveat, its autofocus score rose from 120 to 125 points, so the issue doesn’t appear to be serious.

Lens flare has proved to be a perennial issue for iPhone cameras, appearing as bright green spots or halos when shooting into the light. Dxomark reports improvements in lens flare correction, but notes that it’s still apparent at the smallest lens aperture.

“Flare is also generally better controlled than on the previous generation, with a good reduction of diffuse flare in most situations, although green spots can still appear and flare remains quite visible when the iris is closed.”

Perhaps Apple could tweak its automatic aperture choice to dodge the worst of it, but for now, changing the aperture manually via Pro controls may be your best option.

If you’re noticing significant flare while composing your photo, you may want to avoid the f/4 aperture. Conversely, other reviews found flare to be worse wide open at f/1.48 (see reports from Enzo Lu and Mediastorm ; YouTube, in Chinese). Apple targets f/1.8 as the default in most situations, so it may be your safest choice here too.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture offers tangible improvements and new levels of creative control that make it a compelling upgrade for keen photographers while continuing Apple’s lead in video performance. However, with everyday shots, reviewers find results similar to the iPhone 17 Pro, photography site Fstoppers finding that the new flagship takes essentially the same photo as last year’s model in ordinary light.

Furthermore, the Pixel 11 Pro XL ties with the iPhone 18 Pro in Dxomark’s photo-only score (171 points) and offers slightly better long-range zoom, with Google’s exclusive cloud-based “Video Boost” feature available when maximum video quality is required (which Dxomark found beats Apple’s default video quality ).

The fact remains, however, that the new iPhone 18 Pro camera not only improves quality, but also lets you shoot images the iPhone 17 Pro simply can’t capture.