When in doubt, go for the mechanical option.
Apple is rumored to be planning to release at least one iPhone model in 2025 that will feature a mechanical aperture.
Per The Information, such a system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17’s aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android smartphones have offered variable aperture over the years, such as Samsung’s Galaxy S9 series.
The mechanical system would allow users to set a smaller aperture, which would allow for a shallow depth-of-field effect, wherein the subject stays in focus while the background is blurred. Apple already offers this effect on iPhones with Portrait Mode, but it is artificially generated, whereas this change would make it natural.
The mode also occasionally experiences difficulties separating subjects in the foreground from the background. A mechanical aperture would most likely solve this problem.
Apple is expected to release the iPhone 17 series in September 2025, and it’s thought that the mechanical aperture could be limited a a rumored high-end “Ultra” model.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors and The Information