[DigitalToday intern reporter Kyung-min Hong (홍경민)] The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to get a major camera hardware upgrade while keeping the aluminium alloy exterior material from its predecessor.

NineToFiveMac reported on Sunday local time that the iPhone 18 Pro is likely to deliver a major improvement in camera performance while retaining the characteristics of the exterior material introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman forecast that the iPhone 18 Pro will see the biggest camera hardware changes among iPhones released in recent years. The shift is expected to centre on three changes: a variable-aperture main camera, a wider aperture for the telephoto camera and additional software features exclusive to Pro models.

The variable-aperture feature is expected to let users adjust focus and depth of field to their preference. It is expected to improve the completeness of Portrait mode and significantly raise shooting quality in low-light conditions, enabling more flexible responses across different shooting environments.

The telephoto camera's aperture is also expected to widen, significantly improving low-light shooting performance that has been cited as a weakness. Pro-only software features to support the hardware changes and improvements to the camera control button were also flagged.

Despite the major camera changes, the device exterior is expected to once again adopt the same aluminium alloy material as the iPhone 17 Pro, keeping its existing physical characteristics. Fixed Focus Digital, an IT tipster, said that because this year's Pro model uses the same material as its predecessor, the technical pros and cons will also remain. The alloy has shown strong heat dissipation and has proven sturdy in durability tests.

Still, the aluminium body is considered somewhat more vulnerable to dents and scratches compared with previous titanium models, and that remains an issue to be addressed. Some users of the previous model raised complaints that protruding edges around the camera island were particularly prone to scratches, and Apple has described that as normal wear and tear.

As a result, the iPhone 18 Pro is likely to be a model focused on maximising camera capabilities rather than attempting a bold redesign of the exterior.

With camera performance increasingly important in smartphone selection, the hardware jump led by the introduction of a variable aperture is expected to be a key weapon for securing differentiated competitiveness in the premium smartphone market.

Even with those hardware strengths, it remains unclear whether the scratch vulnerability of the aluminium material cited on the iPhone 17 Pro will persist without meaningful improvements. That could weigh to some extent on early consumers' purchase decisions that prioritise exterior durability.